***official*** all things Microsoft Xbox One (1 Viewer)

[Frank Drebin]

I know this being the innerwebs and all, that it's common practice to just grab the torches and pitchforks when we only have partial info, but maybe we should wait for MSFT to actually announce their plans before we decide what we think....

Here's a statement from Friday on Major Nelson's page...

"Over the past few days, we have been reading comments and message boards following the Xbox One announcement. There are a few questions regarding used games. I wanted to clarify and provide this official statement:

The ability to trade in and resell games is important to gamers and to Xbox. Xbox One is designed to support the trade in and resale of games. Reports about our policies for trade in and resale are inaccurate and incomplete. We will disclose more information in the near future."

http://majornelson.com/2013/05/24/xbox-one-and-used-games-2/

 

[Cliff Clavin]

maybe iam alone but i play many games without logging into xbox live,

Uh, why?

Uh, why would you log into it?

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

When I turn my Xbox on it auto logs in. I don't purposefully play offline for the sake of playing offline.

I'm not arguing against offline play but I don't see this as a big deal and think all the commotion is a little premature.

There is a zero percent chance you won't be able to play games offline. There is still too large a demographic that buys systems/games and play offline. They aren't going to turn down that money.

 

[Jobber]

I know this being the innerwebs and all, that it's common practice to just grab the torches and pitchforks when we only have partial info, but maybe we should wait for MSFT to actually announce their plans before we decide what we think....

Here's a statement from Friday on Major Nelson's page...

"Over the past few days, we have been reading comments and message boards following the Xbox One announcement. There are a few questions regarding used games. I wanted to clarify and provide this official statement:

The ability to trade in and resell games is important to gamers and to Xbox. Xbox One is designed to support the trade in and resale of games. Reports about our policies for trade in and resale are inaccurate and incomplete. We will disclose more information in the near future."

http://majornelson.com/2013/05/24/xbox-one-and-used-games-2/

Amen. I'll buy whichever system has the games I want to play. Period.

Regardless of their used policy. I don't, nor do I intend to, have a massive video game collection. I think I may have 15 titles for each the PS3 and Xbox 360. I'll always download before buying a disc if I have the option (eg Halo Reach). If I have to buy a disc, I'm not going to sweat $60 new from Amazon/BBuy versus $50 used from Gamestop.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I know this being the innerwebs and all, that it's common practice to just grab the torches and pitchforks when we only have partial info, but maybe we should wait for MSFT to actually announce their plans before we decide what we think....

Here's a statement from Friday on Major Nelson's page...

"Over the past few days, we have been reading comments and message boards following the Xbox One announcement. There are a few questions regarding used games. I wanted to clarify and provide this official statement:

The ability to trade in and resell games is important to gamers and to Xbox. Xbox One is designed to support the trade in and resale of games. Reports about our policies for trade in and resale are inaccurate and incomplete. We will disclose more information in the near future."

http://majornelson.com/2013/05/24/xbox-one-and-used-games-2/

The problem with this is that high-level Microsoft folks have already confirmed the once-every-24-hour thing and the need-to-rebuy-from-us-if-you-want-to-play-used-games thing. If information is currently incomplete or inaccurate, that's entirely Microsoft's fault. Given all the speculation about always-on and blocking used games that was swirling around the new consoles over the winter, Microsoft really should have anticipated these kinds of questions and had some coherent answers ready.

And of course, if all this stuff about blocking used games with online DRM was wrong, Microsoft would just come out say so since they're getting absolutely reamed over this.

My guess is that they're going to try to use E3 to essentially re-launch the X1, this time having thought this thing through. If they know that Sony is going with some kind of similar mechanism for used games, it would take the heat of them a little if both firms confirmed that at the same time. All that said, this has been an absolutely disastrous launch for Microsoft so far.

 

[Fennis]

E3 will be focused on games. They have said so from day 1 and in everything I read continued to say so.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

E3 will be focused on games. They have said so from day 1 and in everything I read continued to say so.

Right. That should go a long way toward fixing the misstep of just talking about television all the time at the reveal event. It's pretty clear that their core audience (the sort of people who go out of their way to watch the livestream of the reveal of a video game console) didn't react well to the way those to market the X1 at first, but E3 can go a long way toward changing that.

The bigger issue though is that Microsoft seemed completely surprised that anybody would ask about their policy towards always-on and used-game DRM, even though people had been talking about this stuff since last fall, and they were obviously unprepared to answer questions about it. I'm not sure how they undo the PR damage from that besides maintaining something like radio silence for the next couple of weeks and rolling out a better-conceived set of answers at E3. (Not in the presentation itself probably, but you know what I mean).

 

[Run It Up]

E3 will be focused on games. They have said so from day 1 and in everything I read continued to say so.

They are gonna have to open with a pretty impressive catalog to make up for all the lateral movement.

 

[Frank Drebin]

I know this being the innerwebs and all, that it's common practice to just grab the torches and pitchforks when we only have partial info, but maybe we should wait for MSFT to actually announce their plans before we decide what we think....

Here's a statement from Friday on Major Nelson's page...

"Over the past few days, we have been reading comments and message boards following the Xbox One announcement. There are a few questions regarding used games. I wanted to clarify and provide this official statement:

The ability to trade in and resell games is important to gamers and to Xbox. Xbox One is designed to support the trade in and resale of games. Reports about our policies for trade in and resale are inaccurate and incomplete. We will disclose more information in the near future."http://majornelson.com/2013/05/24/xbox-one-and-used-games-2/

The problem with this is that high-level Microsoft folks have already confirmed....the need-to-rebuy-from-us-if-you-want-to-play-used-games thing. If information is currently incomplete or inaccurate, that's entirely Microsoft's fault. Given all the speculation about always-on and blocking used games that was swirling around the new consoles over the winter, Microsoft really should have anticipated these kinds of questions and had some coherent answers ready.

And of course, if all this stuff about blocking used games with online DRM was wrong, Microsoft would just come out say so since they're getting absolutely reamed over this.

My guess is that they're going to try to use E3 to essentially re-launch the X1, this time having thought this thing through. If they know that Sony is going with some kind of similar mechanism for used games, it would take the heat of them a little if both firms confirmed that at the same time. All that said, this has been an absolutely disastrous launch for Microsoft so far.

Not really. What they said was if you have the game and you take it to you friend's house and put it in their system and they then want to keep the game they would have to pay for it. They did not say what would happen if you were giving up your license for the game...essentially trading or selling your rights to it. That's a big difference and one thy have not addressed yet.

 

[Hawks64]

Time Kibitzer, on 25 May 2013 - 20:27, said:

SlaX, on 25 May 2013 - 20:04, said:

cstu, on 25 May 2013 - 19:05, said:

belljr, on 23 May 2013 - 17:39, said:maybe iam alone but i play many games without logging into xbox live,

I don't play online at all.

Until I got my wireless adapter, my XBox 360 wasn't connected to live at all either. I would run a long ethernet cable into the living room every now and then to get updates and patches. And even after I got the wireless adapter and starting paying for the gold service, I rarely played online. The biggest stretches I played online were when CoD 4 and when CoD:MW2 came out. Not saying I didn't play other games, but those were the ones I played the most. The last time I played on XBox Live was after I bought Assassin's Creed: Revelations. I still love the multiplayer in AC, but I have those on my PC now. It's been over a year since I've played online, so I let my gold account lapse and I never plan on renewing. I have other devices that allow Netflix and Hulu on my TV, and I can browse the internet on my PC, laptop or Galaxy S III phone.

A lot of the best games these days are sandbox/RPG types imo. I don't find it surprising in the least that many gamers don't play online much at all.

I don't expect to be in the majority there. But I think there's a bigger group that play completely offline than most people think.I hate to think that there's gonna be a console released that will have a short shelf life. I can play an Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, Playstation, etc today just like they were released yesterday. (Ok, some cartridges will require a lot of blowing and some battery packs may have died.) What happens when Microsoft decides to pull the plug on the servers that allow you to access your XBox One. I don't expect that to happen for at least a good 10-15 years. But it's sad to think that it's an inevitability. A lot of game servers already get shut down after one year. EA, 2K, I'm looking at you!

Add me to that group. I like having the option to play online, and I'll play some Borderlands with my nephew once every other month, but I do 90% of my gaming single-player only.

I am the same way...I think I have played online exactly one time and it was RDR MP.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

You guys who spend all or most of your time in single-player games, you're still connected to the internet, right? Keep in mind that "single player" doesn't necessarily mean "offline" if we're talking about DRM.

I understand that if you just play SP games you might not bother setting up a wireless connection for your console, but I'll bet most of you could.

 

[Run It Up]

Not really. What they said was if you have the game and you take it to you friend's house and put it in their system and they then want to keep the game they would have to pay for it. They did not say what would happen if you were giving up your license for the game...essentially trading or selling your rights to it. That's a big difference and one thy have not addressed yet.

What has been said by Microsoft and X1 officials.-Consoles are not always online.-To access your console you will have to connect to the internet once every 24 hours to maintain access of your media while not connected.-A game must be registered to an Xbox live account before you can play it. (this requires a licensing code, obviously)-An Xbox live account can be migrated freely from Xbox to Xbox, but it deletes it from the previous Xbox until migrated back.-Games can be resold to other people or to retailers, in the case of person to person its through microsoft and they take a share of the sale; in the case of a retailer they take a share of the sale to the retailer and again from the retailer to a new owner.-By all accounts game licenses will cost full retail value. This however was worded explicitly as "If we are assuming that this is a newer game, yes it will be the price of a new retail game" - this implies at least to me, that as games get older the price of licenses for used games will go down. And finally:-

“The ability to trade in and resell games is important to gamers and to Xbox,” the company said. “Xbox One is designed to support the trade in and resale of games. Reports about our policies for trade in and resale are inaccurate and incomplete. We will disclose more information in the near future.”

All of this came from Microsoft or Xbox officials, they were intentionally vague on the day of the reveal and have since backpedaled but show no interest in debunking any of the things they had previously said.

 

[Anarchy99]

I read somewhere that they will support the 360 until 2016. Does anyone know if new titles will be concurrently available for the One and the 360? We have thousands of dollars invested in the 360 between games, accesories, controllers, headsets, etc.. We still use the old school console with a detachable hard drive and my kids save a done of stuff on there.

I assume all games and DLC for the 360 will be useless on the One? My kids LIVE on XBL. I get that an Xbox Live account and gamer status will transfer, but at this point that won't help for 360 games / game saves / maps / missions / etc. as you won't be able to play the games.

I don't really want to have two systems set up to be able to accommodate One games and 360 games. Will there be any way to ever play 360 games on a One? Maybe an emulator?

 

[Run It Up]

I read somewhere that they will support the 360 until 2016. Does anyone know if new titles will be concurrently available for the One and the 360? We have thousands of dollars invested in the 360 between games, accesories, controllers, headsets, etc.. We still use the old school console with a detachable hard drive and my kids save a done of stuff on there.

I assume all games and DLC for the 360 will be useless on the One? My kids LIVE on XBL. I get that an Xbox Live account and gamer status will transfer, but at this point that won't help for 360 games / game saves / maps / missions / etc. as you won't be able to play the games.

I don't really want to have two systems set up to be able to accommodate One games and 360 games. Will there be any way to ever play 360 games on a One? Maybe an emulator?

I'm sure down the line they will be available for repurchase on the new marketplace.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I read somewhere that they will support the 360 until 2016. Does anyone know if new titles will be concurrently available for the One and the 360?

Some of the stuff coming out later this year (e.g. Watch Dogs, Battlefield) is confirmed both generations of consoles. Obviously I wouldn't expect that to last, but who knows.

I assume all games and DLC for the 360 will be useless on the One?

Right. Neither the XB1 nor PS4 is backwards compatible.

Will there be any way to ever play 360 games on a One? Maybe an emulator?

I doubt your kids are going to be interested in going back to 360 games after you've moved over to XB1, especially if wait a little bit for the game library to build up.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

You guys who spend all or most of your time in single-player games, you're still connected to the internet, right? Keep in mind that "single player" doesn't necessarily mean "offline" if we're talking about DRM.

I understand that if you just play SP games you might not bother setting up a wireless connection for your console, but I'll bet most of you could.

Sure. I have my 360 and PS3 hardwired so that I can stream through them. But occasionally (sick/hangover days) I'll take a system to my bedroom where the wireless signal is crappy or non-existent. And a couple times a month my crappy ISP goes down.

Is pirating that big of an issue on consoles? I get why they do it PCs... don't agree, but I get it.

 

[Anarchy99]

Will there be any way to ever play 360 games on a One? Maybe an emulator?

I doubt your kids are going to be interested in going back to 360 games after you've moved over to XB1, especially if wait a little bit for the game library to build up.

I've got 3 kids in high school that would be done and on to college by the time the clock ran out on the 360. BUT . . . I have a younger one that is just heading into middle school, so I doubt there would be any way I could hold off on getting a One (or I suppose a PS4 if we have to start all over anyway).

That's the thing that bugs me, I guess. If you were a loyal supporter of one system for YEARS, Microsoft or Sony are making very little effort to keep their existing customer base. Based on that alone I might be inclined to get a PS4.

When are PS4s or Xbox Ones going to be available?

 

[belljr]

so what happens if i dont log on for a week? it says once every 24hours, is that automatic?

 

[Jobber]

You guys who spend all or most of your time in single-player games, you're still connected to the internet, right? Keep in mind that "single player" doesn't necessarily mean "offline" if we're talking about DRM.

I understand that if you just play SP games you might not bother setting up a wireless connection for your console, but I'll bet most of you could.

Sure. I have my 360 and PS3 hardwired so that I can stream through them. But occasionally (sick/hangover days) I'll take a system to my bedroom where the wireless signal is crappy or non-existent. And a couple times a month my crappy ISP goes down.

Is pirating that big of an issue on consoles? I get why they do it PCs... don't agree, but I get it.

I don't think pirating is at all an issue. It's the fact that MS and developers sell a copy of a game once, and it gets passed around (via gamestop, ebay) to 5 other people over its life span. They're missing out on the revenue from most of the owners of that game.

Personally, I think Microsoft would have done better PR-wise if they'd have gone completely digital and abandoned discs altogether.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

You guys who spend all or most of your time in single-player games, you're still connected to the internet, right? Keep in mind that "single player" doesn't necessarily mean "offline" if we're talking about DRM.

I understand that if you just play SP games you might not bother setting up a wireless connection for your console, but I'll bet most of you could.

Sure. I have my 360 and PS3 hardwired so that I can stream through them. But occasionally (sick/hangover days) I'll take a system to my bedroom where the wireless signal is crappy or non-existent. And a couple times a month my crappy ISP goes down.

Is pirating that big of an issue on consoles? I get why they do it PCs... don't agree, but I get it.

I don't think pirating is at all an issue. It's the fact that MS and developers sell a copy of a game once, and it gets passed around (via gamestop, ebay) to 5 other people over its life span. They're missing out on the revenue from most of the owners of that game.

Personally, I think Microsoft would have done better PR-wise if they'd have gone completely digital and abandoned discs altogether.

Ah... weak.

 

[jwb]

Will there be any way to ever play 360 games on a One? Maybe an emulator?

I doubt your kids are going to be interested in going back to 360 games after you've moved over to XB1, especially if wait a little bit for the game library to build up.

I've got 3 kids in high school that would be done and on to college by the time the clock ran out on the 360. BUT . . . I have a younger one that is just heading into middle school, so I doubt there would be any way I could hold off on getting a One (or I suppose a PS4 if we have to start all over anyway).

That's the thing that bugs me, I guess. If you were a loyal supporter of one system for YEARS, Microsoft or Sony are making very little effort to keep their existing customer base. Based on that alone I might be inclined to get a PS4.

When are PS4s or Xbox Ones going to be available?

They are going to support the 360 until 2016. That's another three years. I think that's pretty good.

I guess I don't understand the complaint. Consoles - especially modern consoles - have prettymuch always left the past behind.

 

[Worm]

You guys who spend all or most of your time in single-player games, you're still connected to the internet, right? Keep in mind that "single player" doesn't necessarily mean "offline" if we're talking about DRM. I understand that if you just play SP games you might not bother setting up a wireless connection for your console, but I'll bet most of you could.

Sure. I have my 360 and PS3 hardwired so that I can stream through them. But occasionally (sick/hangover days) I'll take a system to my bedroom where the wireless signal is crappy or non-existent. And a couple times a month my crappy ISP goes down. Is pirating that big of an issue on consoles? I get why they do it PCs... don't agree, but I get it.

I don't think pirating is at all an issue. It's the fact that MS and developers sell a copy of a game once, and it gets passed around (via gamestop, ebay) to 5 other people over its life span. They're missing out on the revenue from most of the owners of that game.Personally, I think Microsoft would have done better PR-wise if they'd have gone completely digital and abandoned discs altogether.

Ah... weak.

One would hope that more money in developers pockets = better/more games. Not sure if that's a pipe dream or not.

 

[Anarchy99]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

 

[Cliff Clavin]

You guys who spend all or most of your time in single-player games, you're still connected to the internet, right? Keep in mind that "single player" doesn't necessarily mean "offline" if we're talking about DRM. I understand that if you just play SP games you might not bother setting up a wireless connection for your console, but I'll bet most of you could.

Sure. I have my 360 and PS3 hardwired so that I can stream through them. But occasionally (sick/hangover days) I'll take a system to my bedroom where the wireless signal is crappy or non-existent. And a couple times a month my crappy ISP goes down. Is pirating that big of an issue on consoles? I get why they do it PCs... don't agree, but I get it.

I don't think pirating is at all an issue. It's the fact that MS and developers sell a copy of a game once, and it gets passed around (via gamestop, ebay) to 5 other people over its life span. They're missing out on the revenue from most of the owners of that game.Personally, I think Microsoft would have done better PR-wise if they'd have gone completely digital and abandoned discs altogether.

Ah... weak.

One would hope that more money in developers pockets = better/more games. Not sure if that's a pipe dream or not.

We keep getting better cars and houses yet people are allowed to resell them.

If they are that intent on being bastards, why not just have a single online activation instead of always on? ie. each disc has an activation code embedded. You have to get online once to activate it and then it gets tied to your console's MAC address. Pretty simple process I would think.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

Eh...sorta.

The Wii - yes.

The PS3 - the newer versions of the PS3's DO NOT support PS2 games, but all PS3's support PS1 games.

The 360 has a small list of reg XBOX games which are backwards compatible but abandoned adding more years ago.

Backwards compatibility is a non issue for me. If I want to play 360 games, which I won't when I do make the switch, Ill play them on my 360. I plan on keeping my 360's for the kids, mostly as Netflix/Amazon/ media players.

 

[jwb]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

 

[Anarchy99]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

 

[hxperson]

You guys who spend all or most of your time in single-player games, you're still connected to the internet, right? Keep in mind that "single player" doesn't necessarily mean "offline" if we're talking about DRM.

I understand that if you just play SP games you might not bother setting up a wireless connection for your console, but I'll bet most of you could.

Sure. I have my 360 and PS3 hardwired so that I can stream through them. But occasionally (sick/hangover days) I'll take a system to my bedroom where the wireless signal is crappy or non-existent. And a couple times a month my crappy ISP goes down.

Is pirating that big of an issue on consoles? I get why they do it PCs... don't agree, but I get it.

There are also situations like taking your console to your cottage or a hotel - or anywhere out of the country where you might stay for a few days and don't have internet access. I think what they are suggesting is total BS and a complete FU to their customers. If they really were only concerned about piracy, they would give buyers complete ownership of their registration codes and just allow users to transfer their codes to other XBL accounts whenever they wanted.

 

[Jobber]

Complaining about hardship in toting a console to a hotel? You're just looking for stuff to moan about.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Complaining about hardship in toting a console to a hotel? You're just looking for stuff to moan about.

It is just another of the many reasons why always on is a terrible idea. When I was a kid, my parents would always pack my NES when we went on vacation. There are ways to prevent piracy (or the completely legal reselling of games) that don't involve being always online. They want you always online so they can bombard you with ads and fleece you with micro-transactions.

 

[jwb]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

 

[jwb]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

Heck, I personally have trouble going back to the first Bioshock. There are scant few games that I ever have any real interest in going back to years after their release - for every Skyrim (that I'm playing again now), there are 50 Far Cry 3's that will last maybe six months, and then never get played again. In my experience, most gamers are like that - for the most part, backwards compatibility sounds great in theory, but lacks in actual practice (there are exceptions - I'm sure someone will post how they still sink 20 hours a month into the first Gears of War).

 

[Cliff Clavin]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

Heck, I personally have trouble going back to the first Bioshock. There are scant few games that I ever have any real interest in going back to years after their release - for every Skyrim (that I'm playing again now), there are 50 Far Cry 3's that will last maybe six months, and then never get played again. In my experience, most gamers are like that - for the most part, backwards compatibility sounds great in theory, but lacks in actual practice (there are exceptions - I'm sure someone will post how they still sink 20 hours a month into the first Gears of War).

People who don't run out and buy the new sports game every year. I'm still on The Show 2011, NHL12, Madden 11 and Tiger 10. Got seasons/careers going in those that I'd love to be able to finish on the new consoles instead of dropping $200+ on new versions and starting from scratch.

 

[Worm]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers. The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility. Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it. Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.) I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight. So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts. To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

Heck, I personally have trouble going back to the first Bioshock. There are scant few games that I ever have any real interest in going back to years after their release - for every Skyrim (that I'm playing again now), there are 50 Far Cry 3's that will last maybe six months, and then never get played again. In my experience, most gamers are like that - for the most part, backwards compatibility sounds great in theory, but lacks in actual practice (there are exceptions - I'm sure someone will post how they still sink 20 hours a month into the first Gears of War).

People who don't run out and buy the new sports game every year. I'm still on The Show 2011, NHL12, Madden 11 and Tiger 10. Got seasons/careers going in those that I'd love to be able to finish on the new consoles instead of dropping $200+ on new versions and starting from scratch.

So just play them on your old console.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

Heck, I personally have trouble going back to the first Bioshock. There are scant few games that I ever have any real interest in going back to years after their release - for every Skyrim (that I'm playing again now), there are 50 Far Cry 3's that will last maybe six months, and then never get played again. In my experience, most gamers are like that - for the most part, backwards compatibility sounds great in theory, but lacks in actual practice (there are exceptions - I'm sure someone will post how they still sink 20 hours a month into the first Gears of War).

People who don't run out and buy the new sports game every year. I'm still on The Show 2011, NHL12, Madden 11 and Tiger 10. Got seasons/careers going in those that I'd love to be able to finish on the new consoles instead of dropping $200+ on new versions and starting from scratch.

So just play them on your old console.

That's what I'll be doing and not buying a new console right away because of this (and that I'm out of space in my entertainment unit and amp for another device).

 

[EYLive]

A bunch of crap that nobody wants.

 

[jwb]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

Heck, I personally have trouble going back to the first Bioshock. There are scant few games that I ever have any real interest in going back to years after their release - for every Skyrim (that I'm playing again now), there are 50 Far Cry 3's that will last maybe six months, and then never get played again. In my experience, most gamers are like that - for the most part, backwards compatibility sounds great in theory, but lacks in actual practice (there are exceptions - I'm sure someone will post how they still sink 20 hours a month into the first Gears of War).

People who don't run out and buy the new sports game every year. I'm still on The Show 2011, NHL12, Madden 11 and Tiger 10. Got seasons/careers going in those that I'd love to be able to finish on the new consoles instead of dropping $200+ on new versions and starting from scratch.

In that regard, I do agree with you - sports games are another animal. But I do suspect as soon as we get a new console, sports gamers (me included) will buy the initial new sports titles we want as they're released, and then get back on that every other / every third year upgrade path. If I'm buying anew console, I'm definitely buying the initial sports games I like, if just to decrease load times.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

Heck, I personally have trouble going back to the first Bioshock. There are scant few games that I ever have any real interest in going back to years after their release - for every Skyrim (that I'm playing again now), there are 50 Far Cry 3's that will last maybe six months, and then never get played again. In my experience, most gamers are like that - for the most part, backwards compatibility sounds great in theory, but lacks in actual practice (there are exceptions - I'm sure someone will post how they still sink 20 hours a month into the first Gears of War).

People who don't run out and buy the new sports game every year. I'm still on The Show 2011, NHL12, Madden 11 and Tiger 10. Got seasons/careers going in those that I'd love to be able to finish on the new consoles instead of dropping $200+ on new versions and starting from scratch.

In that regard, I do agree with you - sports games are another animal. But I do suspect as soon as we get a new console, sports gamers (me included) will buy the initial new sports titles we want as they're released, and then get back on that every other / every third year upgrade path. If I'm buying anew console, I'm definitely buying the initial sports games I like, if just to decrease load times.

Having been through a few of these new console launches I can tell you one thing I won't be doing, and that's buying any next gen sports games. The first year (or two) are just getting them up and running on the new hardware. They oughtta be handing them out to us as beta testers.

I'm with Cliff. I think I'll wait a year before buying one of these new consoles. I expect after the reliability issues of the 360 we will be in the majority - something that may not bode too well for Microsoft.

There are still a lot of people out there who are still hurting for money. Launching a system on the heels of a recession when both systems are still pumping out great games is a little questionable.

 

[SlaX]

You guys who spend all or most of your time in single-player games, you're still connected to the internet, right? Keep in mind that "single player" doesn't necessarily mean "offline" if we're talking about DRM.

I understand that if you just play SP games you might not bother setting up a wireless connection for your console, but I'll bet most of you could.

I am now, but I used to not be. My wife and daughter's gamertags don't connect to XBox Live either. So they play completely offline.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

Heck, I personally have trouble going back to the first Bioshock. There are scant few games that I ever have any real interest in going back to years after their release - for every Skyrim (that I'm playing again now), there are 50 Far Cry 3's that will last maybe six months, and then never get played again. In my experience, most gamers are like that - for the most part, backwards compatibility sounds great in theory, but lacks in actual practice (there are exceptions - I'm sure someone will post how they still sink 20 hours a month into the first Gears of War).

People who don't run out and buy the new sports game every year. I'm still on The Show 2011, NHL12, Madden 11 and Tiger 10. Got seasons/careers going in those that I'd love to be able to finish on the new consoles instead of dropping $200+ on new versions and starting from scratch.

In that regard, I do agree with you - sports games are another animal. But I do suspect as soon as we get a new console, sports gamers (me included) will buy the initial new sports titles we want as they're released, and then get back on that every other / every third year upgrade path. If I'm buying anew console, I'm definitely buying the initial sports games I like, if just to decrease load times.

I'm in no rush to drop what would be close to $1K to get some updated rosters and hopefully some better load times. I'll push back buying a couple years so that I can a) get the console cheaper, b) finish the careers / seasons I have going and c) get the year old sports games for a 1/4 of the price.

Of course, if they made it possible to continue your careers/seasons in each new game, then I'd have a tougher decision to make. But alas, the money grubbing bastards at EA would never let you do such a thing.

 

[jwb]

The Wii played GameCube games. The XBox 360 played XBox games. And the PS3 played PS2 games. That to me is the most recent generation of games from all the console manufacturers and they ALL played games from the preceding console system. How is that "leaving the past behind?"

The PS3 played PS2 games for a short time. PS3's haven't been backwards compatible for some time (yes, you can play PS1 games... anyone doing this en masse?) The xbox360 played certain xbox titles, and they came at a very slow clip, one at a time, and then they dropped it. It's pretty obvious that backwards compatibility is a real pain for developers.

The wii I can't comment on because I've never been a Nintendo guy, but the wii was a generation behind the 360 and ps3 on launch day, so I would expect some backwards compatibility.

Part of me just doesn't understand the overall apathy gamers have for the industry, I guess. Gamers are never happy. We'll drop plenty of money on dinner, a movie, cable tv, dance classes or karate for the kids, spend $30 on a case of decent beer, but man, spend that $60 on a game (or buy a console), and there's all kinds of expectations and such that come with it.

Here they gave you a great console that you've obviously enjoyed for years, they will be supporting it for another three years, and that's not good enough. The new one had better be able to play Halo Reach (et al) or you're going to PS4. (this is more rhetorical than directed at you personally, mind you.)

I dunno - I love gaming, and think it's a great bargain. I'm looking forward to the new consoles, warts and all. I'll probably buy one next year, run them side by side for a year, and then put the 360 away in my closet full of other old gaming relics.

To better explain, I am not a gamer. Never used any of our XBoxs over the years. Not even once. The only thing I look at is the cost. I don't know how many times the kids have said that if they don't get GAME X the day it comes out, they will be ostrasized and an outcast at school cause EVERYONE will be playing it starting at midnight.

So yeah, to me it IS a big deal when you shell out $500-$750 a year for new stuff a year and then suddenly be told that games you bought 6 months ago will be phased out soon with the advent of a new system. I don't even want to think about the annual cost by the time you add in XBL accounts.

To me, it's just a line item in the budget. It's not like I am getting anything out of it. Obviously that opinion is WAY different than a gamer that is looking forward to a new system, new capabilities, new games, etc.

Trust me then - if your kids are getting $750 worth of new games a year, and want them at the midnight launch, they probably have zero interest in backwards compatibility.

Hate to break it to you Anarchy, but jwb nailed it. As soon as the XB1 drops, that 360 is going to be collecting dust from the sound of it.

Heck, I personally have trouble going back to the first Bioshock. There are scant few games that I ever have any real interest in going back to years after their release - for every Skyrim (that I'm playing again now), there are 50 Far Cry 3's that will last maybe six months, and then never get played again. In my experience, most gamers are like that - for the most part, backwards compatibility sounds great in theory, but lacks in actual practice (there are exceptions - I'm sure someone will post how they still sink 20 hours a month into the first Gears of War).

People who don't run out and buy the new sports game every year. I'm still on The Show 2011, NHL12, Madden 11 and Tiger 10. Got seasons/careers going in those that I'd love to be able to finish on the new consoles instead of dropping $200+ on new versions and starting from scratch.

In that regard, I do agree with you - sports games are another animal. But I do suspect as soon as we get a new console, sports gamers (me included) will buy the initial new sports titles we want as they're released, and then get back on that every other / every third year upgrade path. If I'm buying anew console, I'm definitely buying the initial sports games I like, if just to decrease load times.

I'm in no rush to drop what would be close to $1K to get some updated rosters and hopefully some better load times. I'll push back buying a couple years so that I can a) get the console cheaper, b) finish the careers / seasons I have going and c) get the year old sports games for a 1/4 of the price.

Of course, if they made it possible to continue your careers/seasons in each new game, then I'd have a tougher decision to make. But alas, the money grubbing bastards at EA would never let you do such a thing.

I didn't mean to imply gamers rush out and buy a new console and madden day 1. I'll probably wait a year myself before getting the new console. I'm just saying that when one does buy a new console, it's probably logical that if you like football/baseball/soccer games, you'll pick one up for it.

 

[Slapdash]

A bunch of crap that nobody wants.

Sure is funny watching people argue against the gaming habits of others.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I didn't mean to imply gamers rush out and buy a new console and madden day 1. I'll probably wait a year myself before getting the new console. I'm just saying that when one does buy a new console, it's probably logical that if you like football/baseball/soccer games, you'll pick one up for it.

Last time around, I waited about a year to go from the PS2 to PS3. This time I'm extremely likely to buy at least one console at launch and I would consider buying two. The XB1 is probably out of the mix, but I could see myself with a PS4 and Steam Box potentially. I like console gaming, but I get the sense that I've missed out on a lot of PC-only stuff.

 

[belljr]

so what happens if i dont log on for a week? it says once every 24hours, is that automatic?

Has this been answered? Tia

 

[Fennis]

so what happens if i dont log on for a week? it says once every 24hours, is that automatic?

Has this been answered? Tia

Are you asking what happens if you don't play XBox for a week? Your friends and family are happy to see you and the XBox will connect automatically.

If you are asking what happens if you lose Internet connectivity for a week? I don’t believe that has been answered yet.

 

[EYLive]

so what happens if i dont log on for a week? it says once every 24hours, is that automatic?

Has this been answered? Tia

Are you asking what happens if you don't play XBox for a week? Your friends and family are happy to see you and the XBox will connect automatically.

If you are asking what happens if you lose Internet connectivity for a week? I don’t believe that has been answered yet.

No gaming for a week. A specific game will be registered to a single user and authenticated online each time it is played. If the game and gamer tag don't match, no playing.

 

[SlaX]

so what happens if i dont log on for a week? it says once every 24hours, is that automatic?

Has this been answered? Tia

Are you asking what happens if you don't play XBox for a week? Your friends and family are happy to see you and the XBox will connect automatically.

If you are asking what happens if you lose Internet connectivity for a week? I don’t believe that has been answered yet.

No gaming for a week. A specific game will be registered to a single user and authenticated online each time it is played. If the game and gamer tag don't match, no playing.

I can't recall where I read it, nor who it was who reported it, but I did read that in the event that you aren't connected after a 24 hours period, you'll lose access to that game until the XBox is able to reconnect to the servers to verify you own the game.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

so what happens if i dont log on for a week? it says once every 24hours, is that automatic?

Has this been answered? Tia

If you don't connect to the web for 24 hours (or thereabouts), all your games are disabled until you can reconnect. That's what DRM is all about.

 

[Fennis]

so what happens if i dont log on for a week? it says once every 24hours, is that automatic?

Has this been answered? Tia

If you don't connect to the web for 24 hours (or thereabouts), all your games are disabled until you can reconnect. That's what DRM is all about.

Wired: I’ve heard that if your Xbox One does not connect with Xbox Live at least once a day, the machine becomes inoperable and you’re not able to play any of the games that you’ve paid for. Is that true?

Harrison: I don’t think that’s what was said. Let me try and clarify what is happening.

So, there is a lot of anxiety about “what if my Internet connection goes down” and you don’t have connectivity for a period of time. There are a host of features which will be usable without an Internet connection — watching movies, playing certain single player games… all of which will operate offline. We expect most of the more advanced experiences, like online multiplayer games, or games which have a lot of connected features… those games won’t operate if you don’t have an Internet connection. We designed the system to take advantage of a connection to the cloud, and all that that means. But no, it’s not required that you are connected all the time, every second of every day.

There is some technology about how often, or how frequently the device has to ‘ping’, but that has not been… we have not talked publicly about that yet, but it will be very user-friendly.

Wired: So are you saying that there is no function of the machine which checks in with Microsoft to see whether the player is still authorized to use the games that they’ve bought — there is no user validation check, or any sort of DRM function?

Harrison: We haven’t announced the details of that today, but like I said, it will be very user-friendly.