"Xbox One" Reveal Event

[TKz]

I really don't think we'll ever see the end of the games consoles. There's always going to be a demand for the sort of games that come with a console. A lot of companies are spouting this bullshit about how social games and casual games are taking over and will be the main source of games in a few years, but considering how impossible it is to create a core game on those kind of systems, like the iPod or the iPad, there's always going to be a big market for the triple A titles that don't work with a touchpad.

[thatblindgeye]

I rely less on used games and trade ins than I used to, but I would dislike having that option taken away or harder to utilize with the current price of games. I think the thing that bothered me most about the person commenting on my Facebook post was it came off as him acting like the used game thing isn't an issue and people are stupid for trying to make it into one when it specifically hurts the industry. It didn't help that he tried acting like he cares that developers don't make money off used games, but will happily acquire games through other means or have his friend do a license transfer so that he can get a bunch of free digital games.

With how much of a mess the whole thing is, it's easy to understand why people are so up in arms over it. Despite relying less on used games and trade ins, it would still be a potential deal breaker for me because it will also affect rentals, playing a game at a friends place (would it require lugging an entire system just to enjoy a game with a few people?), or borrowing from a friend.

If I was more of a PC gamer I probably wouldn't care because like TKz said, that's something you have to deal with. At the same time, I wouldn't be fussed over not being able to trade a game in that I only have to pay $20-30 for either. I haven't made any decision yet because I'm still waiting to hear a confirmed answer from Microsoft over the matter, but I really hope they don't do anything drastic in regards to used games.

I can only imagine how things will be if the console portion of the industry ever decides to transition to a more digital means of distribution.

[Crybaby Bunting]

It really doesn't help that there isn't any competition for a games console box in the living room: The Ouya looks good in practice but people are finally starting to realise that heavily gimped arcade games and tablet games don't provide any long term enjoyment, the Steambox is based around Linux so bang goes any chance of a huge library being available to the gamer, and finally you have the Wii U which, barring a minor miracle isn't going to be competing with the next generation of consoles at all.

The Xbox One and PS4 look like one step forward and two steps back, but they'll still sell far more than anything else this generation will put out.

[Skummy]

The Wii U will do just fine. It's a disappointing slow start, but I think "a minor miracle" is a real exageration, especially given how underwhelming this launch has been.

[Summers]

News, motherfuckers!

Retailers will be free to charge whatever they wish for pre-owned Xbox One games, but both Microsoft and publishers will take a percentage cut of every sale.

Retail sources have told MCV that Microsoft has this week briefed key retail partners on how it intends to take ownership of the pre-owned market.

This is how we’ve been told it will all work:

A gamer walks into a retailer and hands over the game they wish to sell. This will only be possible at retailers who have agreed to Microsoft’s T&Cs and more importantly integrated Microsoft’s cloud-based Azure pre-owned system into its own.

The game is then registered as having been traded-in on Microsoft’s system. The consumer who handed it over will subsequently see the game wiped from their account – hence the until now ambiguous claim from Phil Harrison that the Xbox One would have to ‘check in’ to Microsoft’s servers every 24 hours.

The retailer can then sell the pre-owned game at whatever price they like, although as part of the system the publisher of the title in question will automatically receive a percentage cut of the sale. As will Microsoft. The retailer will pocket the rest.

Unconfirmed reports on ConsoleDeals.co.uk suggest that retail’s slice will be as little as ten per cent. That’s a significant cut from what it has become accustomed to from pre-owned sales and more in line with what they would receive from the sale of a new game – hence, the value of the pre-owned market to the retailer is effectively destroyed.

These same unconfirmed reports also suggest that the activation cost for consumers buying or borrowing pre-owned software will be £35.

When contacted by MCV Microsoft responded with the following statement: “We know there is some confusion around used games on Xbox One and wanted to provide a bit of clarification on exactly what we’ve confirmed.

"While there have been many potential scenarios discussed, we have only confirmed that we designed Xbox One to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail. Beyond that, we have not confirmed any specific scenarios. Another piece of clarification around playing games at a friend’s house – should you choose to play your game at your friend’s house, there is no fee to play that game while you are signed in to your profile.”

UPDATE: Many readers are asking whether the £35 will be additional cost on top of the price of buying the game. No, we believe that the £35 figure – which is not our number, incidentally – would cover the entire transaction. If correct this would leave retail with a cut per sale of around £3.50.

[Ant]

So you are unable to borrow games now then unless you know your mates Xbox Live Profile details?

[apsham]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh.

[Maxx]

Christ, just open fucking Microsoft stores.

[apsham]

EDIT: Reading that again I need further clarification.

Still sounds shifty and backwards as hell.

[Ruki]

So you are unable to borrow games now then unless you know your mates Xbox Live Profile details?

Which is bullshit. I buy a game, my friend buys a game...once we're done, we let the other borrow (we recently did this with Tomb Raider/Bioshock). I REALLY hope this isn't the case, otherwise PS4 it is.

And Gamestop will only get 10% of the sale of used games? That's like...nothing! The used game prices will likely be on the rise.

[Maxx]

Norro! I want your thoughts on all of this! TL,DR us!

[Baddar]

10% is a shoddy amount. Not really worth the retailer's time.

[Cactus Drags]

I think being more of a PC gamer lately helps soften the blow, too. If PSN and Xbox Live offered the kind of deals and lowered prices for digital downloads that Steam can, I don't think the used game market would be quite as big. A big part of why I don't bother with used games now is because why would I buy Dead Space on PS3 for £10-15 when I can get it for £3 on Steam? I'm a lot more interested in the transition towards digital than most others seem to be, though.

The thing with Steam and PC gaming is the fact that in-store PC sales started to decline around the same time that Steam started to build up speed. It's been years and years now that the PC section at an EB Games or similar has been a tiny, dusty corner of the store - and the thing that hurt PC games for the stores would've been the CD keys that tied the game to a single account, etc.

Now that sounds like the same could happen for consoles pushed out by Sony and Microsoft... essentially destroying game speciality stores and their ilk, however - there is no guarantee of that.

Thing is, as much as it sucks for the people that work in that industry, I'm pretty okay with being completely digital. I'd much rather download the game in an hour or two (or as little as twenty minutes if Steam's being good) than have to worry about pre-ordering, then if they've got the stock, let alone the fact that my local game hasn't even received any stock for a few big releases lately. Or having to wait for the copies to show up if I buy them online. Again, that's just me, I'm sure there's plenty of people who can't stand the idea of not having a physical copy of the game they purchased. For me, it's not such a big deal now.

I would be all for an all-digital market if prices were changed to reflect the lack of shipping and distribution. I just can't see Activision, EA et al going for that. Hell, I've gone virtually all-digital with my Vita and PS+ there's only one or two games I physically own anymore. And if they come down in price on the store, I'll buy them too.

Reading all this drivel from executives this week (Activision CEO said the One was still a games machine first for example) and the bizarre decisions regarding mandatory Kinect monitoring, whatever they're doing with preowned, always-on etc. (I'm still reserving judgement until this stuff gets properly clarified), it just strikes me that the wrong people have ended up in charge, not just with MS, but right across the board.

Personally, I think we're seeing the dying days of the home console as we know it. I think the next generation after this will be the last as we know it, unless things change drastically.

There are just too many expensive, well-marketed as "must have", products out there vying for our attention for games companies to start throwing out this kind of consumer-unfriendly nonsense.

When there's a new iPad for £300+, a new iPhone for anywhere from £100-£500 or however ludicrously expensive they are now, Kindles for £150...a games console for £400+ becomes a much, much harder sell.

The money in gaming now comes from DLC, from social gaming, and from mobile gaming. You've got a thousand other things asking for your money, and your attention. When a games console is costing you a decent chunk of a month's wages, and the games are close to £50 on top of that, the console manufacturer really should be doing more to win over a consumer.

With the X-Box One in particular, it's not just the "always online", the enforced Kinect, or the damage to the pre-owned market, or inability to trade/share games. It's that nobody has anything nice to say about it. The entire feedback of the reveal has been negative. There was absolutely nothing in the presentation that has impressed people, or at least not enough to outweigh the negatives.

Maybe I'm being over-dramatic, but the times of games consoles having a near-enough captive market of gamers are coming to an end, and they just can't afford to alienate their base to the extent that they have.

Just the fact that there's been so much negative response says to me that there's going to be a market for console gaming, if not for ever than for the forseeable future. Mobile gaming is on the rise, but touchscreen controls just don't compare, and a lot of people would rather not bother than go through various hamfisted fixes and sort-of-solutions. I enjoy stuff like Dead Trigger and Shadowzone on my Nexus 7, but only since I've rooted and got my Dual Shock pad working with them.

I really don't think we'll ever see the end of the games consoles. There's always going to be a demand for the sort of games that come with a console. A lot of companies are spouting this bullshit about how social games and casual games are taking over and will be the main source of games in a few years, but considering how impossible it is to create a core game on those kind of systems, like the iPod or the iPad, there's always going to be a big market for the triple A titles that don't work with a touchpad.

There's figures out there that suggest the social gaming bubble is about to burst. Zynga's lost a shit-ton lately.

The Wii U will do just fine. It's a disappointing slow start, but I think "a minor miracle" is a real exageration, especially given how underwhelming this launch has been.

The big concern for the Wii U now is losing third party support. You can't just brush it off when EA openly admits they've no plans, nothing in development for the Wii U. It'll stick around and the fanboys will be placated with their Zeldas and Mario Bros. but I can't really see it staying relevant. Hell, the only games that came out for it this week are the 3DS port of Resi Revelations and Lego Batman 2 which came out on everything else ages ago. Aliens got cancelled at the eleventh hour, the Rayman Legends saga was a big knock, it's just not that great.

[TKz]

[Ant]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a484593/xbox-one-to-monitor-tv-viewing-content-watched-number-of-viewers.html

This is getting ridiculous now. I havent bought a Sony product since the PS2 but it looks like i will this year.

[TCO]

Hahaha it actually gets more unbelievable every day!

[Schlitzbrille]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a484593/xbox-one-to-monitor-tv-viewing-content-watched-number-of-viewers.html

This is getting ridiculous now. I havent bought a Sony product since the PS2 but it looks like i will this year.

No. No. Xbox One no welcome to spy on me.

[EWB's Best Poster.]

That's gotta be the most idiotic thing I've heard yet.

At this point its professional trolling.

[Your Mom]

God I was half joking when I said I didn't want the Xbox to see me naked. Now I wouldnt be shocked if its true

[King Ellis]

"I'm never, ever going to rent a film or anything like that on my Xbox. I just want it to play games."

*Hypothetical feature quasi revealed that is centred around media*

"OMG THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!"

You can't have your cake and eat it too.