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Phil Spencer is hyping up the Microsoft E3 Conference.

I hope it's just Phil Spencer doing the E3 conference with lead developers talking about their individual game. I hope they don't keep jumping between him, Phil H, Yusuf and any of the other cronies. Keep it focused. I doubt the new CEO will be there. Maybe Bill Gates makes a guest appearance for something though!
 
I am looking forward to E3 as I expect MS to come out swinging for the fences this E3. Last E3 they came out strong and quickly got kicked in the nuts, their lunch taken and dirt kicked in their face.

MS has been in rally mode ever since E3 2013 and its been almost a full year and they still haven't washed away that stench. Say what you will about MS but its good to see them fighting back. We need them in this competition of next gen consoles since Nintendo has all but walked away from that stage this gen.
 
Dlacy13g said:
I am looking forward to E3 as I expect MS to come out swinging for the fences this E3. Last E3 they came out strong and quickly got kicked in the nuts, their lunch taken and dirt kicked in their face.

MS has been in rally mode ever since E3 2013 and its been almost a full year and they still haven't washed away that stench. Say what you will about MS but its good to see them fighting back. We need them in this competition of next gen consoles since Nintendo has all but walked away from that stage this gen.
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I dislike this argument. Fake competition is horrible for the industry. If Microsoft can't keep up with their game offerings, they're going to fall behind. The best console should always have the lion's share of sales, period.
 
TomShoe said:
I dislike this argument. Fake competition is horrible for the industry. If Microsoft can't keep up with their game offerings, they're going to fall behind. The best console should always have the lion's share of sales, period.
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But it isn't fake competition. It's legitimate. You're last sentence seems to miss the whole point of competition. That's not what competition is for.

I was actually going to make a thread about how MS's failings are a good thing, because now the only thing they can do to get gamers on board is Games, games, games, meaning more games for us, which is a good thing.

Competition is a good thing. I don't think Sony would suddenly turn evil if MS disappeared, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them slowing down on the amount of games they make.
 
Chettlar said:
Competition is a good thing. I don't think Sony would suddenly turn evil if MS disappeared, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them slowing down on the amount of games they make.
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Sony's most prolific generation for games was the PS2 era when they had total control.
 
Chettlar said:
Competition is a good thing. I don't think Sony would suddenly turn evil if MS disappeared, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them slowing down on the amount of games they make.
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Actually I think we saw a glimpse of what Sony would be like with no competition when they launched the PS3. PS2 dominated so much over all others that they virtually had no competition. Sony got humbled during the course of the PS3 not only from a game console perspective but from a company wide perspective. That said, run away success with no competition certainly could see a return to certain attitudes over the course of time as you mentioned.
 
TomShoe said:
I dislike this argument. Fake competition is horrible for the industry. If Microsoft can't keep up with their game offerings, they're going to fall behind. The best console should always have the lion's share of sales, period.
Click to expand...

No one is asking for fake competition. We want a strong Xbox division for a healthier gaming industry. Sony didn't exactly develop humble pr following the PS3's release for no reason y'know.
 
Darksol said:
Sony's most prolific generation for games was the PS2 era when they had total control.
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First of all, they still had competition. They didn't have a monopoly. But more importantly, ahem:

Dlacy13g said:
Actually I think we saw a glimpse of what Sony would be like with no competition when they launched the PS3. PS2 dominated so much over all others that they virtually had no competition. Sony got humbled during the course of the PS3 not only from a game console perspective but from a company wide perspective. That said, run away success with no competition certainly could see a return to certain attitudes over the course of time as you mentioned.
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This is why I'm excited for Microsoft! Like seriously, think about it. MS is super proud after having the very successful 360. I can't wait to see what happens with them now. :) Like, honestly MS is an awful company, but they have some great franchises. I can't wait to see what they're forced to do with them now what with the hubris they displayed got them into.
 
Dlacy13g said:
Actually I think we saw a glimpse of what Sony would be like with no competition when they launched the PS3. PS2 dominated so much over all others that they virtually had no competition. Sony got humbled during the course of the PS3 not only from a game console perspective but from a company wide perspective. That said, run away success with no competition certainly could see a return to certain attitudes over the course of time as you mentioned.
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I'm assuming you're saying that as a negative, right? And they still had competition back during the PS1/PS2 days. It wasn't a monopoly because you had options.
Wanna highlight awesome post about the PS3:
BigDug13 said:
What I got from Sony domination was a console capable of playing all PS1, PS2, and PS3 games. A $600 blu-ray player when blu-ray players were $1000. The only console with HDMI output. The only console capable of lossless sound and DTS sound in games. The only HD console with wifi capability. They provided 3x the HDD space of their main competitor. They provided the capability to upgrade the HDD to whatever size you wanted within the physical dimension limitations.

What I got cost Sony $850 BOM to build and they only charged $600 for it.

Yes, their PR was arrogant and they glossed over omissions like rumble by claiming it was a "last gen feature" and told people to get a second job to afford the system. (If I built something for $850 and tried to sell it for $600 and everyone told me it was still too expensive, I'd probably get upset too)

But the console itself outside of the blunder that was Cell, was a beast of value. And I didn't even buy the PS3 to game. I bought it ONLY for blu-ray and it was an incredible value. 360 was my gaming console of choice last gen.
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WonkyPanda said:
Seriously. The vitriol and salt in this thread is palpable. It's almost as if MS walked into their homes, took a shit on their dinner table, and kicked the family pet.

Where is this unabashed criticism coming from? For all intents and purposes, MS had a very strong E3 showing with a plethora of, you know, actual games being shown. Even if you were to argue that MS did not have the best showing at E3, which is an argument i'd entertain, it's illogical to equivocate that with a poor showing. I don't understand where this is coming from.
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From the bad taste left on gamer's mouths, post the horrible reveal, shortly followed by the DRM PR nightmare. I doubt anyone even bothered focusing on their E3 showing after all that. Clearly those posting TV comments did not see it since there was zero talk about TV at E3, that all happened pre-E3. Ironically, MS was all games, games, games, while it was Sony who had a few TV related reveals at E3 and few surprises, but the No DRM and price reveal alone stole the show.
 
Chettlar said:
This is why I'm excited for Microsoft! Like seriously, think about it. MS is super proud after having the very successful 360. I can't wait to see what happens with them now. :) Like, honestly MS is an awful company, but they have some great franchises. I can't wait to see what they're forced to do with them now what with the hubris they displayed got them into.
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I think people underestimate the competitive ruthlessness of Microsoft.

One example...
I suspect Microsoft felt very betrayed and angry when Sony paraded Bungie on their stage for the PS4 announcement.
So they countered in the best possible way:
They recruited Insomniac for a fully exclusive game.

A pissed off Microsoft is the best Microsoft.
 
Syphon Filter said:
That would be dumb to end it with a rerelease.
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Actually, I think it could be great.

End instead with a short teaser for Halo 5, and then wrap up the conference as usual.

...And then say "And Oh yes, Halo 2 Anniversary is coming out this November. Expect a trailer tomorrow." Or something along those general lines.

Loch Doun said:
I think people underestimate the competitive ruthlessness of Microsoft.

One example...
I suspect Microsoft felt very betrayed and angry when Sony paraded Bungie on their stage for the PS4 announcement.
So they countered in the best possible way:
They recruited Insomniac for a fully exclusive game.

A pissed off Microsoft is the best Microsoft.
Click to expand...

Well, they probably already knew about that (I mean, we all knew Destiny would end up on Sony's consoles), but yes I agree.

Can't wait to see what Sunset Overdrive does.
 
Loch Doun said:
I think people underestimate the competitive ruthlessness of Microsoft.

One example...
I suspect Microsoft felt very betrayed and angry when Sony paraded Bungie on their stage for the PS4 announcement.
So they countered in the best possible way:
They recruited Insomniac for a fully exclusive game.

A pissed off Microsoft is the best Microsoft.
Click to expand...

Let's be honest. The people who make the major decisions for a large company are businesspeople that don't care about emotions that get in the way of profit. Bungie getting on Sony's stage and the Insomniac recruitment probably has absolutely no correlation.
 
StalkerUKCG said:
You underestimate Halo 2's popularity
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Nah i am also excited to have that game on xbox one,i want the entire collection in fact. I just think its not a good idea,its a good game but a rerelease. Now if they release a Halo 5 trailer and it has the Halo music we know and love,that will be exciting.
 
JaggedSac said:
Sorry, it was just my addled brain.
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why-would-you-do-this-to-me.gif


Oh, and you're not addled at all. That idea sounds great if executed correctly.
 
Loch Doun said:
I think people underestimate the competitive ruthlessness of Microsoft.

One example...
I suspect Microsoft felt very betrayed and angry when Sony paraded Bungie on their stage for the PS4 announcement.
So they countered in the best possible way:
They recruited Insomniac for a fully exclusive game.

A pissed off Microsoft is the best Microsoft.
Click to expand...

The characterisations of these giant multinational corporations is a little saddening. To think these companies feel "betrayed" and that they counter with something else because "Sony hurt our feelings" is ridiculous.

Also, I love how Insomniac now suddenly is viewed as this amazing developer.
 
CannonO said:
I don't mean for this to be interpreted as The Order's devs saying anything about a delay. It is speculative. Driveclub, however, has specifically yet to confirm a 2014 goal as of Sony's latest responses.
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So you're talking out of your ass, then.

Okay.
 
Dark_AnNiaLatOr said:
Let's be honest. The people who make the major decisions for a large company are businesspeople that don't care about emotions that get in the way of profit. Bungie getting on Sony's stage and the Insomniac recruitment probably has absolutely no correlation.
Click to expand...

You underestimate the power of emotions. You are correct, but businessmen are still men. They aren't robots. I'm sure there is a correllation, if a small one.

And even then, what MS is doing, by getting a previous sony developer isn't a bad idea at all. It makes perfect sense, especially if you are, as Insomniac said, "Really eager to facilitate our vision." If you like what this companies doing, then why not?

The fact that it works out like a cute little revenge scenario is really just a bonus. It's not as if MS didn't notice the correlation at all.

Purely conjecture, of course, but I can certainly see that happening.

Hoo-doo said:
The characterisations of these giant multinational corporations is a little saddening. To think these companies feel "betrayed" and that they counter with something else because "Sony hurt our feelings" is ridiculous.

Also, I love how Insomniac now suddenly is viewed as this amazing developer.
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*raises hand*

I...actually always thought they were. :)
 
m0dus said:
Really, i don't think we need a war of expensive peripherals.
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I thought that was more commonly reffered to as "escalation" or arms race. Even in the last gen we experienced this, but in no way did it replace the standard format of games within that generation. This will be no different, but if popular will likely run parrallel to standard format games.
 
Chettlar said:
You underestimate the power of emotions. You are correct, but businessmen are still men. They aren't robots. I'm sure there is a correllation, if a small one.

And even then, what MS is doing, by getting a previous sony developer isn't a bad idea at all. It makes perfect sense, especially if you are, as Insomniac said, "Really eager to facilitate our vision." If you like what this companies doing, then why not?

The fact that it works out like a cute little revenge scenario is really just a bonus. It's not as if MS didn't notice the correlation at all.

Purely conjecture, of course, but I can certainly see that happening.
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Yea, I do agree that there the person who made the decision and other advisors must have noticed it, but as for the poster I was replying to; it seemed like that poster believed that the only reason MS got Insomniac was because of the revenge scenario, and that the acquisition would not have occurred if Bungie had not showed up on Sony's stage. Basically, the post sounded ignorant and fanboyish, and I guess I happened to be in the mood to reply so pointlessly.
 
Dark_AnNiaLatOr said:
Yea, I do agree that there the person who made the decision and other advisors must have noticed it, but as for the poster I was replying to; it seemed like that poster believed that the only reason MS got Insomniac was because of the revenge scenario, and that the acquisition would not have occurred if Bungie had not showed up on Sony's stage. Basically, the post sounded ignorant and fanboyish, and I guess I happened to be in the mood to reply so pointlessly.
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I was not implying that was the only reason, obviously it wasn't.
It's not like Microsoft approached Insomniac saying "Hey, we want to get back at Sony, here's some money, make us a game."
It's more like Insomniac was prototyping a game idea and looking for a publisher then Microsoft stepped in.
But you also can't say that the Bungie thing wasn't in the back of their minds, it certainly had to be.
The opportunity to take a counterjab at Sony had to be a bonus to them.
The corporate culture isn't as vanilla as it seems, these people do have feelings that play a small part in things.
 
Loch Doun said:
I think people underestimate the competitive ruthlessness of Microsoft.

One example...
I suspect Microsoft felt very betrayed and angry when Sony paraded Bungie on their stage for the PS4 announcement.
So they countered in the best possible way:
They recruited Insomniac for a fully exclusive game.

A pissed off Microsoft is the best Microsoft.
Click to expand...

Why would you view a Microsoft exclusive game from a 3rd party multi-platform developer as the "best Microsoft"?

Is the best Microsoft really the one that money-hats away games from consumers who don't buy their product?

I don't get it.
 
I love how people treat companies like if they are a person.
They are formed by hundreds of people, its not because you work at Microsoft that you become a evil guy that only wants Money.
Even the heads of the departments are completelly different people, who i bet are there because they love what they do.
 
Birgitte2004 said:
Why would you view a Microsoft exclusive game from a 3rd party multi-platform developer as the "best Microsoft"?

Is the best Microsoft really the one that money-hats away games from consumers who don't buy their product?

I don't get it.
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Sunset Overdrive isn't a third party game. It's published by Microsoft Games Studios. How is that a money hat? It's the exact same scenario as what Sony does with David Cage's games.

I know that some people like to use the fact that Microsoft often doesn't own the IP of the games it produces but I think that's pretty cool of them to let devs keep the IP in most cases.
 
Darksol said:
Sony's most prolific generation for games was the PS2 era when they had total control.
Click to expand...

Dlacy13g said:
Actually I think we saw a glimpse of what Sony would be like with no competition when they launched the PS3. PS2 dominated so much over all others that they virtually had no competition. Sony got humbled during the course of the PS3 not only from a game console perspective but from a company wide perspective. That said, run away success with no competition certainly could see a return to certain attitudes over the course of time as you mentioned.
Click to expand...

Salvor.Hardin said:
No one is asking for fake competition. We want a strong Xbox division for a healthier gaming industry. Sony didn't exactly develop humble pr following the PS3's release for no reason y'know.
Click to expand...

This is where we have reached an impasse with this argument. It's true that Sony did attempt to get away with quite a few things, and the arrogant PR did not help. What's interesting is that Microsoft attempted to do the exact same thing, with the exact same "You don't like it? Fuck you, give us money" PR, and they didn't have nearly as much of a stranglehold that Sony had during the PS2 era. If the PS4 had complete domination over this gen, would Sony repeat their same mistakes they had with the PS3?
 
Loch Doun said:
I was not implying that was the only reason, obviously it wasn't.
It's not like Microsoft approached Insomniac saying "Hey, we want to get back at Sony, here's some money, make us a game."
It's more like Insomniac was prototyping a game idea and looking for a publisher then Microsoft stepped in.
But you also can't say that the Bungie thing wasn't in the back of their minds, it certainly had to be.
The opportunity to take a counterjab at Sony had to be a bonus to them.
The corporate culture isn't as vanilla as it seems, these people do have feelings that play a small part in things.
Click to expand...

It was rumored that Activision approached MS first with Destiny, MS refused, so Activision went with Sony.
 
Really wish Nintendo Direct style monthly updates were the norm. The E3 cycle of waiting until June for any major announcements just feels outdated.
 
Loch Doun said:
I think people underestimate the competitive ruthlessness of Microsoft.

One example...
I suspect Microsoft felt very betrayed and angry when Sony paraded Bungie on their stage for the PS4 announcement.
So they countered in the best possible way:
They recruited Insomniac for a fully exclusive game.

A pissed off Microsoft is the best Microsoft.
Click to expand...

Man, people actually believe this? Wow.
 
CassidyIzABeast said:
Really wish Nintendo Direct style monthly updates were the norm. The E3 cycle of waiting until June for any major announcements just feels outdated.
Click to expand...

I don't want either MS or Sony to take after anything Nintendo does in the console space. I don't mind waiting for E3 as long as the shows are good enough.
 
Steverulez said:
I don't want either MS or Sony to take after anything Nintendo does in the console space. I don't mind waiting for E3 as long as the shows are good enough.
Click to expand...

I agree.
I'd rather have the big yearly spectacle than some awkward Youtube videos released periodically.
Nintendo will be having an E3 conference this year though, right?
 
Loch Doun said:
I was not implying that was the only reason, obviously it wasn't.
It's not like Microsoft approached Insomniac saying "Hey, we want to get back at Sony, here's some money, make us a game."
It's more like Insomniac was prototyping a game idea and looking for a publisher then Microsoft stepped in.
But you also can't say that the Bungie thing wasn't in the back of their minds, it certainly had to be.
The opportunity to take a counterjab at Sony had to be a bonus to them.
The corporate culture isn't as vanilla as it seems, these people do have feelings that play a small part in things.
Click to expand...

Hmm ok, based on your reply, you don't seem like some immature person on the internet. Sorry, I do apologize.
 
Filipus said:
I love how people treat companies like if they are a person.
They are formed by hundreds of people, its not because you work at Microsoft that you become a evil guy that only wants Money.
Even the heads of the departments are completelly different people, who i bet are there because they love what they do.
Click to expand...

Lots of people are still people.

Chobel said:
It was rumored that Activision approached MS first with Destiny, MS refused, so Activision went with Sony.
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Hm. Why would they refuse exclusive content? (Since that was really the only thing that Sony has with Destiny over MS).
 
TomShoe said:
This is where we have reached an impasse with this argument. It's true that Sony did attempt to get away with quite a few things, and the arrogant PR did not help. What's interesting is that Microsoft attempted to do the exact same thing, with the exact same "You don't like it? Fuck you, give us money" PR, and they didn't have nearly as much of a stranglehold that Sony had during the PS2 era. If the PS4 had complete domination over this gen, would Sony repeat their same mistakes they had with the PS3?
Click to expand...

Competition isn't just about keeping the competitor's arrogance in check. The true benefit for the customer stems from companies pushing each other to do better in creative and cut throat ways. It's not simply about offering better prices or better hardware. It's about matching new forms of creativity, services, ergonomics and business models.

Would PSN be where it is if there were no XBL? Would MS be pushing for a stronger indie platform if Sony weren't doing it so well? Would the dual shock 4 be as good as it is today if the 360 controller wasn't as good as it is?

The PS2's greatness wasn't created in a vacuum. It took years of game development from several companies that resulted in the PS2's awesome catalogue of games.

My point is that even if the PS5 doesn't herald another era of arrogant Sony, it could very well result in missed opportunities of advancement in the industry that can only be inspired by direct competition.
 
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