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[Codeblue]

OK, I'll bite here.

I'm curious to know what you consider standards today that began as "gimmicks" that people embraced. As I said in an earlier post (#209), I don't consider analog sticks, optical media or online play to be weird gimmicks - they were natural iterations on what came before.

What are the gimmicks we loved - and still use?

How about rumble? Or people who are excited for Move applications with Morpheus? What about dual screens, or touch screens?

Of course, I disagree that the natural evolution can't be a "gimmick". The Playstation didn't launch with analog sticks, that was the N64's hook.

Your last sentence uses nebulous terms though. I don't know who "we" are and what constitutes "love" or how to measure or prove that to you.

 

[spencman]

Interesting. He mirrored my surroundings with his words. The people I know personally, who have bought a PS4, are boring, too.

No technology enthusiasts.

But eventually....eventually...they're thinking the same of me. Dunno...

 

[Steroyd]

I get where he's coming from, but I disagree, the difference is that Sony's "innovations" to the system are less pronounced and secondary to what matters at the forefront, yes MS and Nintendo thought outside the box with their concepts but they also never captured the imagination of the public with said concepts like the Wii did either.

 

[Zyae]

Im enjoying my Xbox One and dont give a fuck whos "winning" this "war"


PS4 owners should do the same

 

[DeadlyVirus]

It's like the iPhone sells well because of it's "inovations"

 

[Wind's Howling]

Microsoft has showed that change is not always a good thing, especially if you tend to cater towards the family (which Nintendo had been doing successfully with the Wii, but not so much with the WiiU).

I am glad Sony stayed true to their roots and went all out with the graphical feats and still staying in a reasonable price range.

 

[Wynnebeck]

Im enjoying my Xbox One and dont give a fuck whos "winning" this "war"


PS4 owners should do the same

Who's to say that PS4 owners aren't doing it already?

 

[Jonm1010]

I can get Amazon Fire for $99 bucks if I want to talk to my TV. Kinect has brought nothing to the table that justified its $499 price tag. The fact that it is inferior in almost every technical category and was almost coupled with the most anti-consumer infrastructure in console gaming history just adds to it.

 

[Mooreberg]

What he said makes sense. I've used the word "obvious" myself to describe how Sony has approached this. They took a cool, detached look at what has been selling consoles for the past five years, and designed accordingly.

Thankfully, for whatever the system is lacking in additional gimmicks of questionable worth, they have done a good job with PS+, the speed and fluidity of interface and game installs, and hopefully will do the same with PS Now. They'll have to work on that rental pricing though.

 

[CamHostage]

It is true that this generation is having difficulty sparking my interest (though I am an old man now of seven console generations, so I may not be one to talk.) I do wish the Kinect had had at least one killer app somehow before being tossed out of the box, even though it has its problems it is technology I really want to see reach an apex.

Bottom line, though, is that software makes a console exciting, not gadgets or special features. The last time anybody cared about something exclusively cool in a console was Mode7 (though we tried to make a story out of "the CELL processor", and in portables we did have DS prove itself well beyond the typical Nintendo dominance) and we've had great consoles all along. These new systems have all they need to inspire game makers, it's the market and the budgets and the cost-cutting competition that's making it difficult to deliver that future to us.

 

[barit]

Boring ? Lets wait till 2015 when Project Morpheus is sitting on my head. Then we´ll see who of the big 3 is boring !

 

[RexNovis]

Have to admit it's kind of amusing watching people RAGE about this. Breath guys and reread. If you can't see this is written in the satirical vein of Onion News then I don't know what to do to help you. It's pretty damn obvious.

Spoiler

It is quite successful at bringing out the irrational console warriors. This is basically needless console warz the thread.

I mean:

cant really argue with title. ps4 needs more and better games fast.

Microsoft money keeps flowing

Also I'm sorry but I fail to see the sequel to Kinect as innovation, yes it functions above and beyond the PS camera but they still function to do the same things at the moment voice commands and stream camera. Not to say a piece of software won't come to truly make it shine, but unbundling the Kinect doesn't make me think that's going to happen. What is an Xbox One without Kinect if PS4 is boring as far as being too safe?

Erik dosent know what gamers want, he should get a job at Microsoft.

Mine is a dedicated Blu-ray player. Doesn't get much more boring than that!

Excited to play remastered The Last of Us when it goes on sale, though.

If being boring is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I'm loving the PS4 so far.

It's true. I've said that from the beginning. I don't think it's a knock on it really, but it has made me invest into my PC instead since if you're just trading on horsepower and price, PC seems like a good alternative (cheaper games, no additional online cost, much better horsepower).

For console-only gamers though it's an obvious choice if you're just looking for a simple standard to go with.

Not giving that article hits, from what I saw in the OP it reads like PR at some point. How on earth is Kinect 2 fun? voice commands? it doesn't even have succesfull games and it's being abandoned, If anything I'd pity someone getting an Xbone because of it. At least the Wii U pad off-tv play is great. Also, the PS4 still has no games for Move, does he even knows what he is writting about?

And I agree with posters, Morpheus has been the only real innovation this gen.

I was reading the article when suddenly the bias jumped out of my phone and punched me in the face.

Calling the PS4 "boring" just shows how little the author understands what the PS4 has under the hood. Sony innovating left and right... so boring

Why do consoles have to be gimmick hubs to be not boring? That's ridiculous.

Good to know.

I've read a few of those Forbes video game articles, and honestly, there is a certain bias towards a specific platform. Specially, those written by Mr. Kain and Mr. Thier. This is another eyebrow-raising article.

LOL. Reading comprehension, what is it? This thread has been very informative. Very informative indeed.

 

[SMZC]

Microsoft's Xbox One (originally) launched with the exciting and innovative Kinect sensor, all for just $499

Stopped reading there.

 

[ReignofSparrows]

The 360 revolutionized gaming for me. It provided features like party chat and achievements that were innovative and added value to my experience when I played. And I never felt like it was anything but a console that was all about games first and foremost.

The Xbox One innovated, I guess, but in ways I wanted nothing to do with. It was built around a device that has still failed to demonstrate any value when it comes to playing games. It was presented as the greatest all in one future box that I have never wanted.

Meanwhile, the PS4 took everything the 360 did and made a slicker, more refined, more powerful version of that. And Sony offered that at a lower price point. Sold.

 

[Digital-Hero]

I find the PS4 UI really boring (I guess that's the word), but this article is bonkers.

And the Xbox One / Windows 8 one is better? Let's not get started on the Wii U either. They are all serviceable and nothing more.

 

[GravityMan]

The PS4 is following the same blueprint that the SNES, PS1 and PS2 (considered by many to be the best three consoles ever) did. All three of those consoles had straightforward hardware with good power, utilitarian controllers, and were devoid of gimmicks. They also each had a ton of 1st and 3rd party games, and a lot of variety in their game libraries. Killer apps, sleeper hits, the birth of new genres, etc. The innovation was prevalent in the games themselves, not the hardware they ran on nor the controllers. New things in the H/W and/or controllers did not overshadow the consoles, they merely neatly complimented them while not getting in the way.

I think the PS4 is following the same philosophy. It is a polished product that is nearly devoid of distracting, unnecessary flashy bullshit.

 

[Doctoglethorpe]

I dunno, SharePlay looks like a fantastic innovation. The share button stuff is pretty great too, or at least it will be when youtube gets added. Those things are still WIPs though, and other then that, yeah its a pretty barebones console. Hell, PS3 is still better for blurays and netflix imo.

So I agree with the articles first point. The console is relatively boring in the sense that its a nearly barebone game machine. But I think the biggest reasons its winning isn't that it doesn't have features people don't want, but that its the highest cost/power ratio and of course Microsofts great PR disaster of 2013. If Xbox One was more powerful then PS4 or at least cheaper, I think it would still be winning regardless of Kinect, especially now that most people seem to have forgotten about the reveal shenanigans.

 

[Stillmatic]

I think it's a bit unfair to say they played/or are playing it safe. They just didn't do anything wrong (180 on free online being the exception). They have/are pushing a lot of new ideas in the console space since they announced the PS4.

I think these suggest they haven't played it safe recently:

- Hardware in relation to cost: They done really well here. Producing the most powerful console at an affordable price for consumers.

- Controller: Completely redesigned the DS. Touchpad, light for VR/MC (used well in games like Outlast - fuck the flashing light when my lights are off), built in speaker and a 3.5mm jack to plug and play almost any headset/mic. Cool.

- PS+: We all know the benefits of that. PS4 quality hasn't been the best for me, but it's a new console with a fraction of the library at the moment. Extra value with SharePlay, more on that below.

- Share button: Take screenshots of any game, record gameplay and can stream online. I love this about the console.

- Playstation Now: Play PS, PS2, PS3 games (and eventualy PS4) via game streaming. Per game basis or subscription.

- Playstation TV: Connect to TV via HDMI, hook up a DS3 or DS4 and play PS Vita games, or PS, PS2, PS3 via Playstation Now. Can also stream a game from your PS4 to another TV with PSTV plugged in.

- SharePlay: 'Virtual Couch'. Play with a friend either co-op or multiplayer game, even if they don't own the game. Can do this up to 60mins at a time, unlimited amount of times. Friend can also take over your controls if you're stuck and can't get past a point, or just want them to have a go.

- Project Morpheus: Sony's V fucking R headset. Decent FOV, headtracking, 3D. Can also output a feed to your TV so others around can see what's going on in game. Muuuch excite.


That's all pretty exciting to me, but maybe that's just my tastes. They definitely dropped the ball on some features (mp3 + other media via USB, wheel support, suspend/resume, stability of the console!!!), but all that will come Soony.

 

[TheGuardian]

"kids, many of whom no longer have the capacity to use buttons properly thanks to the rapid rise of touchscreens in modern society."

Love this. Please think of the children.

 

[Dr.Acula]

So Kinect on the Xbox One he calls innovative, but the PS Camera you can buy... is not. Also, Kinect came out last gen.

On the Wii U second-screen and touch-controls are innovative, but the PS Vita second screen and DS4 touch pad get thrown to the side...

Yeah, this article is top notch!

Came to post exactly that, this article is trash. Last gen Kinect and DS4 has touch.

Edit: oh this is satire? Carry on then I guess.

 

[Lernaean]

The guy is wrong about many things in this article, but as a multiplat gamer i have to say i agree that the other two are a lot more appealing to me, especially in terms of games available on the system.

 

[AquaMotley]

Microsoft's Xbox One (originally) launched with the exciting and innovative Kinect sensor, all for just $499.

And just like that I felt compelled to stop reading.

 

[foxbeldin]

Reads like a fanboy's blog.

Oh wait...

Spoiler

contributor

Spoiler

edit : damn i should have read it before posting, i always assume the worst with forbes contributor

 

[hooijdonk17]

The Kinect allows users to navigate the Xbox One UI with voice commands that you may or may not remember. This is a super useful feature for parents whose children refuse to stop watching Netflix or won’t turn off a video game when asked repeatedly. A simple “Xbox Off” from across the room takes care of that problem.

Microsoft could have saved you from being a lousy parent, but didn't, so Boo Sony.

WTF is this shit that I just read..

 

[unbias]

Holy fuck, they keep pouring in. This article is a honeypot(for dumbasses).

 

[TsuWave]

the "xbox off" parents example had me rolling on the floor. what an article.

but erm yeah i have a vita, the ps eye and will get morpheus when it drops so i'm not missing much in functionality and/or potential.

 

[Insomnium]

Guys read the damn article before you post...

 

[kairu]

Personally I don't really understand the "boring" thing when talking about consoles not constantly tacking on additional features like motion control, kinect, etc. When Nvidia and AMD release new graphics cards for PC people don't complain about them just being more powerful. Stuff like motion control, or yelling at the console to me are separate branches off of gaming that are related but not the same, even VR is something different. All I want from a new round of consoles is more power. Better graphics, more interesting gameplay and AI, cool new IP's. Additional stuff is just that, additional.

Some of this additional stuff I use, some of it I don't – but the gaming is why I showed up, and its why I'll stay.

 

[jadedm17]

Exactly what I wanted : a stronger and better way to game. Not everything should do everything.

 

[unbias]

Reads like a fanboy's blog.

Oh wait...

Spoiler

contributor

edit : damn i should have read it before posting, i always assume the worst with forbes contributor

Because why? It's like people have all these opinions on Forbes contributors but it sounds like most people dont even read the website(much less the gaming side). And before you say "they suck" give me an example that makes them suck more then the other websites out there. And before someone says they are simply bloggers, read the site before forming an uninformed opinion.

 

[travisbickle]

Personally I don't really understand the "boring" thing when talking about consoles not constantly tacking on additional features like motion control, kinect, etc. When Nvidia and AMD release new graphics cards for PC people don't complain about them just being more powerful. Stuff like motion control, or yelling at the console to me are separate branches off of gaming that are related but not the same, even VR is something different. All I want from a new round of consoles is more power. Better graphics, more interesting gameplay and AI, cool new IP's. Additional stuff is just that, additional.

Some of this additional stuff I use, some of it I don't – but the gaming is why I showed up, and its why I'll stay.

That's the essence of the article, and a lot of people appear to agree with 10 million PS4's sold.

 

[Fandangox]

Sure. Whatever you say Erik.

He is not knocking down the PS4, just stating that it being essentially a stronger PS3 at its core was the most business savvy decision to make.

 

[unbias]

He is not knocking down the PS4, just stating that it being essentially a stronger PS3 at its core was the most business savvy decision to make.

It's no use. We have 8 pages and half of it is this.

 

[Yagharek]

Stopped reading there.

I'm surprised you made it past the headline. The article makes perfect sense when you keep going.

 

[aygomyownroad]

Article is bang on, I never realised how boring my MegaDrive was until I bought a Menacer, MegaCD and 32X.

Its all about the Gimmicks...

And while the article makes sense, its MS's fault for not utilising Kinect early on in games, that is why they have dropped it as no one wants these type of things unless they work well or are game changers (Which is why the WiiU is great, but sacrificed power for the tablet)

 

[Sotha_Sil]

And just like that I felt compelled to stop reading.

And just like that:

It's a massively pro-Sony article, guys.

 

[Jawmuncher]

It definitely was a smart move for Sony to just go straight for the gaming power over the features like MS did. With that said the lack of sleep mode for games still is the only feature they need to add before anything else.

 

[EGM1966]

He is not knocking down the PS4, just stating that it being essentially a stronger PS3 at its core was the most business savvy decision to make.

Agreed - most people posting aren't reading the whole thing if at all. Usual stuff.

Anyway I'd agree with the basic premise which is Sony read what the majority of console owners wanted - the most powerful console without too much extra on the side - and has reaped the benefits; and that by extension being bold or chasing markets that might not even exist is risky and can hurt your sales.

Mind you this is true for every market so hardly an insightful article as such .

 

[madmackem]

Wait how is kinect being talked about as innovation? It came out last gen it's nothing new?. I fail to see innovation in all three tbh, Nintendo put a tou screen on the pad mimicking ds and 3ds ms put kinect in the box an upgraded version on something they launched last gen there all lacking in innovation.

 

[Mooreberg]

I think everyone has been so inundated with articles from the twilight zone about completely tangential topics that straight forward industry discussion with a bit of sarcasm has confused them.

Anyway, at one point I thought Shu was talking to the author and Taco Bell at the same time. It is late.

 

[unbias]

I think everyone has been so inundated with articles from the twilight zone about completely tangential topics that straight forward industry discussion with a bit of sarcasm has confused them.

Anyway, at one point I thought Shu was talking to the author and Taco Bell at the same time. It is late.

You're giving them more credit then they deserve, I doubt they made it much passed the topic title, on the whole.

 

[Fandangox]

Wait how is kinect being talked about as innovation? It came out last gen it's nothing new?. I fail to see innovation in all three tbh, Nintendo put a tou screen on the pad mimicking ds and 3ds ms put kinect in the box an upgraded version on something they launched last gen there all lacking in innovation.

That is true too in a sense, Wii U's gamepad only brought asymmetrical play (hardly used yet in the console) and off-tv play (bless), but most of what is mentioned in the article was already done by the DS and 3DS.

Also the writer is not even giving negative connotations to the word "boring" so either way he is not really opposed to lack of innovation, as long as its practical.

 

[VanWinkle]

(I read the article) It honestly reads like passive-aggressiveness. I mean, with the praising of the "innovations" in the Kinect and Gamepad, and the lack of any mention of DS4's multitude of functionality, it seems more like he's saying "well, I guess you can't count on consumers to look ahead at innovation, so now we're in for a boring generation."

Oh well, just an opinion, and he's totally allowed to have one.

 

[JoJoSono]

My problem is that Microsoft never sold me on the xbone being a very innovative machine. Well it dosen't help that I was clearly not part of the target audience.

It's focus on innovating the tv room experience was meaningless to me. Shouting commands at the tv sure sounds like a convenience that we've all thought would be nice. Yet, in the end it's not something I really needed. I have no problem simply using the remote and when I watch tv I simply wonder through the channels. yet, most of the time when I do watch tv I watch it with a plan, a singular purpose. This is the thing I'm watching and that's that. Using the kinnect in these situations really wouldn't add much. It would what? Save me 5 secs of using the remote. It wasn't this earth shattering thing that I needed. I also honestly don't watch that much tv so all of these things are even less attractive.

The kinect itself as a game device has never impressed me. it's never delivered games that I actually want. Never really offered experiences that seem worthwhile beyond dance and mini sports games. That did'nt change with the Xbone. Before seemingly giving up on it, MS never proved that kinect was anything other then something you pop out when families over and wants to play just dance. They never showed how it would be a worthwhile to the Metal Gears, Final Fantasies, and Elder Scrolls of the world that I buy consoles for. So even if it was innovative, it had nothing to prove it.

So I of course come to the PS4. It is a boring system. Offering nothing but greater graphics and next gen os features. It's honestly the price and the message the Sony has been consistent with that made me want one. It was always clear that the system was a game machine first and foremast and the narrative that it's the better game machine is the one that has been sold to me. It's been sold very well. I'm not sure if it actually is more powerful or that it really matters, but it's already written that it is and nothings going to change that. It did'nt hurt that for $100 less I was getting a machine that did what I primarily want a console to be about. That is play games and it plays games better.

Really though, Sony has been good about actually delivering on the promise of putting out games. It seems to me that since kinnect came out MS has been sitting on it's ass. Just rehashing Fable, Halo, and Forza as it's core games while CoD and kinnect bring in the crowds. I mean I can't blame them, but Halo for me stopped being worthwhile years ago. Meanwhile Sony has had momentum since it seems Uncharted 2. Putting out interesting exclusives. Doesn't hurt that Japanese thrid parties have supplied some niche stuff. The point is the PS3 seems alive and I trust Sony a lot more then I do MS.

 

[StarlordDial]

guys guys..read the article ..u guys are assuming too much here now :3

 

[alexandros]

In this case boring is a good thing. It means that you don't spend money on useless gimmicks in the vain hopes of attracting the casual audience. That ship has sailed (to Mobileland).

 

[Fandangox]

It honestly reads like passive-aggressiveness. I mean, with the praising of the "innovations" in the Kinect and Gamepad, and the lack of any mention of DS4's multitude of functionality, it seems more like he's saying "well, I guess you can't count on consumers to look ahead at innovation, so now we're in for a boring generation."

Oh well, just an opinion, and he's totally allowed to have one.

Doesn't read like that to me.

As much as I admire both Microsoft and Nintendo for their willingness to … think outside the box (as it were) Sony’s move was the most intuitive. The core gaming community that Sony is catering to with the PS4 doesn’t care much about motion controls, and they play games on their phones already and don’t need a touchscreen gamepad for their couch-gaming.

Sometimes boring is the most business-savvy road to travel. Sometimes it’s a word that shouldn’t carry such negative connotation. If games are the most important thing to gamers, making things like the Kinect or the Wii U gamepad mandatory is a big mistake.

The PS4′s continued trouncing of both these systems is proof enough of that.

 

[unbias]

It honestly reads like passive-aggressiveness. I mean, with the praising of the "innovations" in the Kinect and Gamepad, and the lack of any mention of DS4's multitude of functionality, it seems more like he's saying "well, I guess you can't count on consumers to look ahead at innovation, so now we're in for a boring generation."

Oh well, just an opinion, and he's totally allowed to have one.

https://twitter.com/erikkain

His article was satire mixed with truth. I mean come on man, the bit with kids and touchscreen should have given it away. At this point all I can do is post his twitter so you guys can see the stuff he is retweeting.

 

[VanWinkle]

Doesn't read like that to me.

Well, yeah, he's saying that's the move that paid off in the end, but it doesn't sound like it's the verdict that he was happy with. I don't know really though. I guess the article isn't completely clear on it so it's open to interpretation.

 

[unbias]

Well, yeah, he's saying that's the move that paid off in the end, but it doesn't sound like it's the verdict that he was happy with. I don't know really though. I guess the article isn't completely clear on it so it's open to interpretation.

Because of the ability for Dad to turn off the xbox? >.>