Elapsed Rages (Language warning)
Elapsed — Thu, 05/23/2013 - 12:56
This will be a semi-regular blog in which I explain what has been causing me to rage lately and explain why in as coherant as fashion as possible. THIS MAY PROVE TO OFFEND SOME! So that is your warning. I will not offend or talk shit about religions, sexes, sexuality, or politics. Those are too hot button of issues. What you will see/read from me are rages about the gamming community, The computing community, Peoples health POVs (such as anti-fluoridation or anti-vacination nuts) and some other topics. Feel free to reply, but I promise I wont be nice here. One of the downsides of being GM is you don't get to be angry enough, You have to try and keep people happy at all times... This can lead to an over abundance of stress and anger. I need to vent
Todays Topic
Next Gen Console Jumpers!
Allow me to explain the title before I contine with my rant/vent. These are people who at the mere sight of a demo of ONE aspect of a console, Jump Ship without seeing a second more of content. (you do not qualify for this if you jumped away from consoles all together because of some of this. If there's something about a console or product that royaly pisses you off. AND all of the other companies are doing the same thing. It's a smart move to stop buying completely)
Let's go in order here (Nintendo Lovers are free from this as the WiiU continues to try and serve a demographic that is a minority, but does it well)
Playstation 4!
Announced/Revealed Feb/20/2013
What you see here (and all of what we've seen of the hardware thus far) is the new controller. It has a screen of sorts on it and we will get to see how that can affect our game-play..... But that's all we got from Sony, This and a demo of games.... So let's be honest. This wasn't a Hardware reveal, This was a announcement with some games. Not a bad thing mind you.... yet people jumped ship for the, then un-announced, Xbox BECAUSE OF THIS REASON ALONE!
WHY ARE YOU SO DUMB?!?! E3 is just around the corner and if Sony is 35% as smart as they have been in the past THEY WILL SHOW YOU THE DAMN CONSOLE! For the love of shit! No one whos got 1/10th of a brain buys a console because of it's looks...... Why in the Fuck would you think that them not showing it means they think it's a weak end of their product?!?! WHY?!
So the world continues and here comes along May/21/2013
a.k.a. Xbox One
now, regardless of how many jokes you try and make about how Microsoft (MS) can't count. They announced the REVEAL of their new Console! Guess the fuck what they did?! THEY SHOWED YOU A GOD DAMNED CONSOLE AND WHAT THE HARDWARE CAN DO! Along with a nice demo of how the opperating system works with every aspect (not just gaming) of the console. We got to see "cut aways" of the hardware as they announced it. They were also nice enough to have a few games ready to show to demonstrate the graphically fidelity of the console....
Yet, here we go again "BUT TOM! WHERE THE FUCK ARE ALL OF THE GAME ANNOUNCEMENTS?!?! I DONT WATCH NETFLIX OR TV?!?! THEY MUST NOT HAVE GOOD GAMES THEN!"
I will not cap this, I will not yell this even.... This was a Hardware Reveal. A demonstration of the console's power, and amazing use of the OS and the new and VERY improved Kinect.
now I will yell a bit
"YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL E FUCKING 3 TO SEE SOME GAMES! IT'S LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AWAY! CALM THE FUCK DOWN"
and again we see people jumping ship (Like the new Blue, Lore, formerly of TankSpot) for Sony. Why? because they didn't get to see the game they wanted at a hardware reveal!
You people (as described in the previous sentance) are grade A MORONS!
EDIT #2
added link that says exactly what we thought as far as being able to play the old games would involve. Looks like Sony wants to try and Stream titles later (not sure how this would work with previously owned ones) I presume we may see something similar from MS in the future as well since they're offering distributed servers for game devs to make enhanced worlds.
If you aren't a fan of the whole "no more used games" bit, you have a very genuine complaint with the game devs (or possibly GameStop)
This is something they've (devs) been wanting for years with consoles. To kill Used games. Why? you may ask. Well they get no money from the resale of that game, and places like GameStop make upwards of 2000% profit from each used sale. This is a problem, for the devs only, that makes piracy look like a small fly. While I don't like this practice, were stuck in this world unless you boycott the next gen of consoles. (I promise if Sony wants to keep the devs around for them, they will announce this soon, otherwise you'll see MANY more exclusives for MS)
Also the consoles are going to be tiny, if you're going to a friends house and want to play a game with them that you own.... PICK UP THE GOD DAMNED CONSOLE YOU LAZY FUCK AND BRING IT OVER! It's not like the 360 or PS3 were all that big/heavy either.
EDIT ADDITION TO ABOVE
Seems MajorNelson was good enough to clear up some facts regarding used games and going over to a friends house on his blog (Thanks to Saedo on posting it)
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 today. While there have been many potential scenarios discussed, today 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.
This is great news and clears up a lot of the confusion and complaints I heard on the day of the REVEAL
So let's try a TL:DR here. If you're thinking about getting a next gen console. WAIT until you see everything about it for launch. From the exclusives and launch titles and even getting to see the machine. Make an informed descion please!
If you don't want to because of the used game shit, Stay on PC and install Steam, I cannot recommend this service more.
Personally I'm leaning twoards the XboxOne atm (if it wasn't obvious) because in our home the PS3 is used as a media machine more than to play games (because of work and wow) So all of the O/S and Kinect stuff apeals to me. But I'm waiting to make a call on it until this fall once I see more from each.
So let's see how this new blog works, I'm feeling better just typing out my rage (arguing with Lore on twitter didn't help this much)
Microsoft relents:
saedo — Wed, 06/19/2013 - 21:54Microsoft relents: http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/microsoft-to-pull-complete-reversal-on-xbox-one-dr/1100-4673/
More info. Stuff like XBox
saedo — Sun, 06/16/2013 - 16:31More info. Stuff like XBox won't be bricked in the future.
PS4 Used Games
saedo — Mon, 06/10/2013 - 20:58Microsoft cannot possibly be
garreth — Thu, 06/06/2013 - 20:40Microsoft cannot possibly be this stupid. Can they?
There was that rumor that
saedo — Thu, 06/06/2013 - 22:38There was that rumor that they want to sell their XBox division. Scorched earth!
Remember the Windows Phone
Shihli — Thu, 06/06/2013 - 21:22Remember the Windows Phone and Surface? Me neither.
Two interesting things
Shihli — Thu, 06/06/2013 - 18:541) Added insight into the "phone-home" DRM of the console - long and short, your XB1 requires an internet connection AT LEAST once every 24 hours from home to play a game, and if you're playing a used game on another box, it needs to dial home once every hour.
Source: http://www.gamespot.com//news/microsoft-confirms-required-24-hour-check-...?
2) As a reddit user pointed out, this will be the first console ever made that will be bricked once Microsoft pulls their server support for it. That's right - at some point in the future, once the console is "too old" to support, you will not be able to play it anymore, period, once the servers go offline.
Another thought, raised by
Shihli — Fri, 06/07/2013 - 07:18Another thought, raised by Reddit:
What happens when Microsoft's servers go down, either for maintenance or because of a problem? Your console tries to phone home, can't, and now won't let you log on.
Your machine is (temporarily) bricked, because of a problem outside of your control.
It would still depend on how
saedo — Fri, 06/07/2013 - 09:14It would still depend on how the phone home drm works exactly. Servers might have to be down for more than 24 hours. Your active Kinect might have been keeping a period connection for you while xbox is "off". Maybe a simple broadcast from some backup server can keep the XBoxs' active while main login servers are down.
But yea, a problem. Might as well think of this as a Cloud device. No longer the old style console.
Which is why I will be
Shihli — Fri, 06/07/2013 - 09:27Which is why I will be supporting PC gaming, and PS4 - so long as it keeps on its current course.
My issue is that my internet
Aeolyn — Fri, 06/07/2013 - 09:59My issue is that my internet isn't super reliable and when it isn't -- my game consoles are the first thing I reach for. The Xbone feels like it was custom made to not fit into my life.
You're also completely borked if some outside source effs with you. Hurricane Sandy totally borked the internet for a ton of people -- but they still had power. The Xbone would have been non-functional.
This reveals a lot more.
saedo — Thu, 06/06/2013 - 20:03This reveals a lot more. http://majornelson.com/2013/06/06/details-on-xbox-one-connectivity-licensing-and-privacy-features/
Two points from myself.
1) You can share games with "family/friends". They get access to your cloud, so carrying discs to a friend's house or "lending" them games don't seem to be an issue. Internet connection still is.
2) The phone home DRM is probably patchable. Microsoft can very well release that patch officially when they do decide to close their servers. But we'll have to see how they treat the customers in the next next gen.
And this one is for Big
saedo — Tue, 06/04/2013 - 17:47And this one is for Big Brother
(No subject)
saedo — Tue, 06/04/2013 - 17:44I think this is relevant
Barfolomeu — Wed, 05/29/2013 - 18:50Creator of Braid is calling
saedo — Mon, 05/27/2013 - 16:04Creator of Braid is calling out Microsoft's bullshit!
http://www.actiontrip.com/news/jonathan-blow-calls-microsofts-bluff-on-servers-and-cloud-processing/052513_4
Interesting notes:
Shihli — Sat, 05/25/2013 - 07:55Give these a read:
http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/general_discussion/f/3817/t/1362841.aspx
THE DRM info is a good read
Elapsed — Sat, 05/25/2013 - 09:59THE DRM info is a good read for sure. Everything about the PS4 hardware seems to be "hinted" at or "rumoured" when you click the links provided... There's no solid PS4 hardware info (because they haven't given us any)
The hillariousness though that they could think a O/S could take as much ram as 3gb from MS? I mean if the Kinect is a complete hog of ram I suppose, but given that MS' main job is making an O/S... I somehow doubt this number
A lot of this wont be able to be verified until E3 sadly but yes an interesting read
Sony's official statement -
Shihli — Sat, 06/01/2013 - 15:00Sony's official statement - they will not "require" game developers to have DRM built into their game to negate used game sales. It's up to the developer. Not exactly a home run, so to speak - but unlike Microsoft, it does not REQUIRE DRM.
Source: http://tech2.in.com/news/console/sony-officially-states-that-playstation...
This is actionably equivelent
Elapsed — Sat, 06/01/2013 - 16:10This is actionably equivelent to requiring it. I see this as a nicer way of saying no used games. It's not nearly the news people will make it out to be
The difference is all the
Shihli — Sat, 06/01/2013 - 23:23The difference is all the difference. The onus is on the developer. Microsoft requires them - requires them - to write additional code (or whatever) into their games in order for them to be approved for release on their console. Sony does not.
Imagine - Gamestop, a company who does a lot of pre-order DLC type packages - only releases pre-order bonuses on one platform, because only one platform actually helps support their business (one which I don't actually pay into, mind you).
I imagine there are at least a few cross-platform developers that are against a phone-home DRM scheme like Microsoft's. Then there's the vocal fan base that is against phone-home DRM:
https://www.google.com/search?q=developers+against+used+game+drm&ie=utf-...
It isn't a "nicer way to say no used games". It's exactly the opposite - it's Sony saying "We don't mind used games at all. Developers might, but we - as a company that is listening to its fan base - are not against it."
Rumored used game system for
saedo — Fri, 05/24/2013 - 23:27Rumored used game system for XBox One.
The fee listed atm is 35 pounds ($53 US), but Major Nelson posted that these rumors are not accurate nor complete. But does say there will be a trade in used game system.
Either way, very likely used games will cost more, and publishers take a signficant cut from this.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/publishers-to-receive-cut-of-xbox-one-pre-owned-sales-at-retail/0116137
I doubt this will be the
Elapsed — Sat, 05/25/2013 - 00:02I doubt this will be the final price. My thought, after lengthy discussion with Razi today was this. Right now they get zero profit from the used games market, for them to convince people that they are not complete and utter theives, they will have to make it a reasonable price to activate a used game (say $5-10USD)
Since they will be geting a cut from each sale, and then also the activation they will be getting more profit from the re-sale there with no extra production. They sold the same disc twice and turned a much greater profit than they do now.
This of course is the optimistic pov and the hopeful one, not necessarily the realistic one I know.
EDIT --
Scrolled to the bottom of that article and saw the updates... seems theres more info including that the $57 USD price is the whole price. BUT MajorNelson said that many of the rumours surronding this are inaccurate. So we will get to see how this plays out
Yea, focus on the system, not
saedo — Sat, 05/25/2013 - 00:56Yea, focus on the system, not the number I listed.
But with digital distribution nowadays, they can already profit from making sales with no extra production. Charging full price I could see them doing. But only if they allow the game to be kept onto the account for downloading, aka Steam style. The physical disc would merely be a means to access an activation key that you can pass around like some AOL disc.
Maybe only getting "in-store" credit when you trade in your activation key. Something like how Green Man Gaming does with their non-Steam/Origin/MMO games. Low trade in credit, but still, the concept is there.
This is how I feel re:Used Games
Elapsed — Tue, 05/28/2013 - 10:5529 minutes? TDLR
saedo — Tue, 05/28/2013 - 13:2429 minutes? TDLR version?
But anyways, the only real support for used games is cheaper games. People are satisfied with Steam/GOG/etc cause they can get games cheaper. Used game on consoles of course screws out the developers, but the typical customer doesn't think that far. It's the here and now, cheap now in front of their face.
So killing used games is fine by me. But if they keep skyrocketing prices of games then they're just making their own noose.
Think about all the recent talk about the decline and unprofitability of AAA games.
(No subject)
Shihli — Tue, 05/28/2013 - 17:57I'd love to hear about the
Ardea — Thu, 05/23/2013 - 21:04I'd love to hear about the "anti-vacination nuts"
give it a few weeks and I'll
Elapsed — Thu, 05/23/2013 - 21:12give it a few weeks and I'll let you know about them when they do some really retarded thing in the news... or better yet Living in Portland .... it will hapen here
I don't get it. Why can't
saedo — Thu, 05/23/2013 - 18:58I don't get it. Why can't you bring a game to a friend's house to play it?
It's activated to account right, not hardware? So, log into account at friend's house?
Just can't let friends borrow games. Maybe account borrowing will be the rampant disease consoles will stamp out next.