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[SeanTSC]

Xboners sounds like a name for a porn site.

First results that come up are Gamestop and Gamefaqs threads. =(

Also Xboners.com is sadly registered, but unused. No porn!

 

[Panajev2001a]

You are aware the Firmware and OS team aren't paid nor in place to make games, right?

Fair point, it is to be understood games are coded straight in assembly starting from a pile of PDF's, there is nothing the OS/SDK/Tools people have to do but music, video, and other multimedia tasks... for sure nothing dealing with how games run, how they interact with the hardware (drivers for CPU, GPU, and various other co-processor in the SoC) and all the layers of software abstractions built on top of it, how they interact with the online network services (account, trophies, etc...) offered by PSN, game installation, game updating and patching, security exploits, etc...
Nothing there which could go wrong and present a nasty surprise to users, developers, or both... No nasty edge case which might even result in a class action lawsuit somewhere... Just like your Windows/Ubuntu/OS X setup or your web browser even (are we at version 235 of Chrome and Firefox yet? Close enough )... nothing to update ever, just a few big updates a year filled with only shiny user facing features...

Seriously, I completely agree that they ought to be more transparent with what they fix in those stability updates and that they should try to ship them with at least something minor that users can notice if possible, but I would not block hotfixes, security, or game crash patches because they did not have a shiny new user facing toy to attract users.

It must also be said that the proliferation of users with tons of unpatched vulnerabilities because they deem all those pesky updates beneath them (hello vulnerable Flash Player release your owner never updated in years)... Hence most OS's are trying to force updates on users.

 

[chrishackwood]

Good point, I don't think the average reader here knows what coming. Everyone and I mean everyone has to comply with the same HTML5 <video> standards which now includes smooth streaming (adaptive streaming), DRM (both Playready for VOD and WMDRM10 for DTCP-IP) and Metadata. It's very possible Sony, besides using Microsoft's DRM is also using or complying with Microsoft's player APIs. I.E. They have to wait for updates from Microsoft so Sony supporting Blu-ray 3D at about the same time Microsoft supports it is exactly as you state.

The HTML 5 adaptive streaming player is used by every feature in both consoles (both will be supporting the same features). The HTML5 <video> player will support 3D as will the blu-ray player and Skype. Both consoles will likely be serving blu-ray to other platforms in the home and that requires adaptive streaming which will use the HTML5 <video> adaptive streaming player in clients on the home network.

This is not speculation! It's part of what HTML 5.0 will support and it's known as RUI or DLNA CVP2.

Head mounted VR goggles will also be used with HTML5 <video> 3D....

All this is timed to start in 2014 (Certification for DLNA CVP2 platforms starts Septemner 2014); FCC mandate for cable companies requiring them to support DLNA CVP2, HTML 5.0 which has the APIs to Java and DLNA to support DLNA CVP2 and ATSC 2.0 OTA which uses the blu-ray codec and supports 1080P & S3D, XTV and Non Realtime Transmission.

This guys seems to know what's really going on. Listen to him!

 

[lukiluk]

Noob question, does XBOne have MP3 support?

 

[TuXx]

I also have a 3D TV but I haven't got round to getting some glasses to go with it but I do know that Dredd is a great film and especially in 3D as it really helps enhance some scenes (From seeing it at the cinema) and can be found for cheap so I would suggest that one.

Dredd's the first thing I'm gonna watch when we get the update. Been waiting on this update for awhile just so I can see it.

 

[kirby2096]

Great, now I can watch Frozen in 3D. I just need a spare £1000 to buy a 3D capable TV..

 

[Vashetti]

Great, now I can watch Frozen in 3D. I just need a spare £1000 to buy a 3D capable TV..

They are much cheaper than that and for good sizes too.

I paid £629 for my 47" LG back in 2011.

 

[jobrro]

Noob question, does XBOne have MP3 support?

Yes, but you have to 'Play To' from your PC. Additionally you can not listen to it in the background, you can snap the music app but your game will only take up ~80% of the screen. It's better than the PS4, but both consoles will hopefully soon have fully backgound local and DLNA music playback without requiring a subscription (Music Unlimited), heck if the PS4 had it by the time Driveclub is released I am 10 times more likely to buy it.

3D Blu-ray playback is great, suspicious timing after the Xbox announcement just days ago . One step in the right direction.

 

[chrishackwood]

They are much cheaper than that and for good sizes too.

I paid £629 for my 47" LG back in 2011.

Agreed. The passive 3D TV's are very cheap. Active - not so much since you need the sync glasses but it's still easy to pick up a 3D TV for around £500 near me.

http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Visual/...s&a04899=1080p+(Full+HD)&sort=price+ascending

edit: some for £400 here http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...LED|1&r_003=1|Televisions-3D|Yes|1&authToken=

 

[jeff_rigby]

If Jeff Is right and he very well may be why cant Sony give us the explanation that Jeff did instead of pussyfooting around the subject? We are all grown...or most of us are grown folks here and can handle hearing something like that. That would be transparent and the right thing to do when it comes to features of this magnitude.

Sony employees suffer extreme frustration at Sony secrecy policies. I see it time after time with ex-employees or leaks. Cases in point, the Employee who leaked the PS3 slim features and some of the firmware 3.X features, a 2006 Hotchips video talking about IPTV and game consoles that was released a few months ago. Who owns the Living room was about the 2007 CEA-2014 proposal which has evolved to CEA-2014B (HTML5 UI DLNA CVP2)

To be fair, Microsoft is not much better. Both Microsoft and Sony have exactly the same feature set planned but has Microsoft published a roadmap of features? IF you are in the industry or have read everything posted about HTML5, you can put together what's coming.

If you are interested you can start reading about what's coming on NeoGAF here. Or to get a feel for what's coming read this easy to follow article.

 

[Bundy]

Noob question, does XBOne have MP3 support?

No, it doesn't.
(And I'm not talking about "from your PC, with Play To" etc. etc.)

 

[DistortionOfReality]

Feeling pretty lonely in this thread... This is actually pretty awesome for me saves me buying a 3d player for dem 3d blurays

 

[AbandonedTrolley]

They are much cheaper than that and for good sizes too.

I paid £629 for my 47" LG back in 2011.

Yeah I paid something similar back then too.

It got broken and then the insurance company decided to give me the top end 47LM960V model for £20 delivery.

 

[Bigmac1910]

Finally, as I have a 3D TV and 3D blurays, but I think it's time to for the suspend and resume feature which was promised ages ago. I still use my PS3 as my main bluray player though.

 

[lukiluk]

Yes, but you have to 'Play To' from your PC. Additionally you can not listen to it in the background, you can snap the music app but your game will only take up ~80% of the screen. It's better than the PS4, but both consoles will hopefully soon have fully backgound local and DLNA music playback without requiring a subscription (Music Unlimited), heck if the PS4 had it by the time Driveclub is released I am 10 times more likely to buy it.

3D Blu-ray playback is great, suspicious timing after the Xbox announcement just days ago . One step in the right direction.

Thanks jobrro

 

[31GhostsIV]

Hyperbole much?

Wow so I'm a corporate shill now for pointing out that it's a games console?

I'm not getting involved with the 'corporate shill' argument, but I do want to make a case against the 'it's a games console and it plays games so what's the problem?' arguments.

I grew up in the 80/90's, when games consoles - in my case, the NES and Super NES - were defined as boxes that only played games. You plugged the box into your TV, plugged your game of choice into the top and played. Nobody knew what an 'internet' was, let alone streaming or mp3's. You just plugged Street Fighter 2 in, your friend came over and you played a few rounds, then if you wanted to watch a movie you'd put a tape in your parents VCR.

It is now 2014. The definition of what a games console should be capable of at base level has changed. A major contribution to this change in definition stemmed from Sony using Playstation (from the start) as a way to sell other technologies, from the PSOne's CD player (hard to believe but a game changer at the time) and using the PS2 to install DVD players into homes. Blu Ray was a huge part of the PS3 strategy. As a multinational with fingers in a lot of pies, it's been imperative for Sony to use the highly successful Playstation brand to sell products from other Sony services, from Movies to 3d TVs etc. For three generations of hardware, Sony have been about improvement, iteration and device convergence.

Microsoft evolved the game console from the network end, with the success of Live and their party system etc and before you knew it, an internet connection ensured you would get the best from your console, from online multiplayer to netflix to streaming content from your computer to your TV. (Of course, online has brought negatives, such as DLC and Pay to Win but that's for another thread). Sony followed suit and were forced to evolve their network features to compete.

Of course, outside of the console sphere, smart phones and tablets are also feature-rich devices that have had an effect on what people expect their gadgets to do. If Apple released the iPhone 6 without a Music Player, could you imagine the fallout? "Oh, sorry. We at Apple just assumed you wanted to use your iPhone to make calls. It's great at making calls. We'll just patch in Music support at an undisclosed later date. But it's great at making calls- it is a 'phone' after all". Nobody would take it because that would mean their previous phone was more feature-rich and paying for a more expensive version with less features would make no sense.

Sony and Microsoft have contributed to the change of what defines a 'games console'. A games console primary function is games, but it should now also include what many perceive to be base entertainment features. Modern home network support is one such feature. 3D Blu Ray - which sony were flogging to death just a couple of years ago - should have been there at launch.

And don't get me started on the features revealed alongside the PS4 in Feb 2013 - such as suspend/resume - that still aren't here.

The idea of Sony using the "but it's a games console and just plays games" argument in 2014 is absurd, although 'for the players' is a better slogan than 'it only does some of what the machine that only does everything and costs half the price can do'.

I don't want to come across as anti-Sony, or fanboy or whatever (I can't comment on the XBO because I've never touched one) because i'm really not. I'm just annoyed that my PS3 should have been retired in November, but instead I now have two consoles under the TV because the new console is only an upgrade in tech but not in features.

 

[Dirtyshubb]

They are much cheaper than that and for good sizes too.

I paid £629 for my 47" LG back in 2011.

Yeah I only paid £600 for a LG 50" Active 3d, Smart, Plasma TV just under a year ago so you can find them quite reasonably priced.

Speaking of, if I was looking to get a pair of Active 3D glasses compatible with LG Plasma TV's which ones would be, not only good quality but also cheap?
I have had a look but im wary of spending money on a pair only for them to be rubbish or not work.

 

[jeff_rigby]

I'm not getting involved with the 'corporate shill' argument, but I do want to make a case against the 'it's a games console and it plays games so what's the problem?' arguments.

I grew up in the 80/90's, when games consoles - in my case, the NES and Super NES - were defined as boxes that only played games. You plugged the box into your TV, plugged your game of choice into the top and played. Nobody knew what an 'internet' was, let alone streaming or mp3's. You just plugged Street Fighter 2 in, your friend came over and you played a few rounds, then if you wanted to watch a movie you'd put a tape in your parents VCR.

It is now 2014. The definition of what a games console should be capable of at base level has changed. A major contribution to this change in definition stemmed from Sony using Playstation (from the start) as a way to sell other technologies, from the PSOne's CD player (hard to believe but a game changer at the time) and using the PS2 to install DVD players into homes. Blu Ray was a huge part of the PS3 strategy. As a multinational with fingers in a lot of pies, it's been imperative for Sony to use the highly successful Playstation brand to sell products from other Sony services, from Movies to 3d TVs etc. For three generations of hardware, Sony have been about improvement, iteration and device convergence.

Microsoft evolved the game console from the network end, with the success of Live and their party system etc and before you knew it, an internet connection ensured you would get the best from your console, from online multiplayer to netflix to streaming content from your computer to your TV. (Of course, online has brought negatives, such as DLC and Pay to Win but that's for another thread). Sony followed suit and were forced to evolve their network features to compete.

Of course, outside of the console sphere, smart phones and tablets are also feature-rich devices that have had an effect on what people expect their gadgets to do. If Apple released the iPhone 6 without a Music Player, could you imagine the fallout? "Oh, sorry. We at Apple just assumed you wanted to use your iPhone to make calls. It's great at making calls. We'll just patch in Music support at an undisclosed later date. But it's great at making calls- it is a 'phone' after all". Nobody would take it because that would mean their previous phone was more feature-rich and paying for a more expensive version with less features would make no sense.

Sony and Microsoft have contributed to the change of what defines a 'games console'. A games console primary function is games, but it should now also include what many perceive to be base entertainment features. Modern home network support is one such feature. 3D Blu Ray - which sony were flogging to death just a couple of years ago - should have been there at launch.

And don't get me started on the features revealed alongside the PS4 in Feb 2013 - such as suspend/resume - that still aren't here.

The idea of Sony using the "but it's a games console and just plays games" argument in 2014 is absurd, although 'for the players' is a better slogan than 'it only does some of what the machine that only does everything and costs half the price can do'.

I don't want to come across as anti-Sony, or fanboy or whatever (I can't comment on the XBO because I've never touched one) because i'm really not. I'm just annoyed that my PS3 should have been retired in November, but instead I now have two consoles under the TV because the new console is only an upgrade in tech but not in features.

Exactly correct as to the history and thrust of both companies. The statements by Sony at the launch of the PS4 like DLNA and MP3 will not be supported is criminally stupid and insults our intelligence. MP3 is a HTML5 audio standard and HTML 5.0 requires API hooks to a existing DLNA feature. Sony has plans to support DLNA CVP2 in all their platforms and that requires the DLNA 1.5 three box model and metadata which some are calling DLNA 2.0. DLNA CVP2 is a HTML 5.0 app

Gesh, Sony is involved in content creation (Sony Studios), content delivery; GetTV and the Playstation on-line services as well as Content players; Smart TVs, Blu-ray players and game consoles. They started the GetTV network Jan 2014 because they know what HTML 5.0 is going to do for ATSC 2.0 and Cable TV.

 

[Camp Freddie]

I think the correct strategy for consoles is to put games first - but you can't forget about the other stuff.

They shouldn't sacrifice gaming features to add some non-gaming thing - but there are many things that are essentially free, other than some software/firmware development.

3D blu-ray, MP3 and DLNA support are just basic features of any computing device. They're useful features that we should get.
Not having them seems arbitrarily restrictive, it's like Microsoft Windows 9 not having a media player because #4theOfficeWorkers

 

[SSReborn]

Sony I'm a player and i want to play my music make my dream a reality please.

 

[m@cross]

Great they are adding it for those who use it, more features are always positive.

To bad 3D movies are pretty much well past the shark they jumped 2 years ago.....

 

[PapaJustify]

3D blu-ray, MP3 and DLNA support are just basic features of any computing device. They're useful features that we should get.
Not having them seems arbitrarily restrictive, it's like Microsoft Windows 9 not having a media player because #4theOfficeWorkers

Funny that you say that. Blu-ray playback is not built into Windows and has to be purchased extra due to licensing costs.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

Ugh... I don't know if this is coincidence or awful timing but it really shouldn't come to this where we are receiving stuff like this after other announcements... It's really just.. Frustrating.

 

[StreetDisciple]

Sony employees suffer extreme frustration at Sony secrecy policies. I see it time after time with ex-employees or leaks. Cases in point, the Employee who leaked the PS3 slim features and some of the firmware 3.X features, a 2006 Hotchips video talking about IPTV and game consoles that was released a few months ago. Who owns the Living room was about the 2007 CEA-2014 proposal which has evolved to CEA-2014B (HTML5 UI DLNA CVP2)

To be fair, Microsoft is not much better. Both Microsoft and Sony have exactly the same feature set planned but has Microsoft published a roadmap of features? IF you are in the industry or have read everything posted about HTML5, you can put together what's coming.

If you are interested you can start reading about what's coming on NeoGAF here. Or to get a feel for what's coming read this easy to follow article.

Yes I have read all of that stuff in the past and your post while may be way over my head are very informative and are appreciated. Microsoft isn't really that much better but they have been rolling out FW updates on a more consistent basis. I'm not looking for some published roadmap like you say I am. My frustrations come because some of this stuff seems very basic. You can play Blu-Rays but I cant rip a CD or play mp3's or have a basic picture viewer? The bigger picture that you are pointing to seems like Sony/MS can build UP to that while leaving us with just the basics. The PS3 was great at this.

 

[IvorB]

I still need to buy the Avatar 3d blu ray but it was so expensive back when I was looking for it.

There are way better 3D movies out now so don't sweat it.

Knowing the way Sony is currently operating it will be rushed and buggy. I'm really wondering about Sony these days.

 

[ksdixon]

The timing of 3d Bluray support in this update is suspicious as hell to put it lightly...Sony's entire firmware team needs to be laid off...

How is it suspicious? I don't understand.

 

[Theecliff]

Concern trolling, conspiracies and meltdowns over Sony announcing 3D Bluray support for the PS4?

 

[Cthulhu_Steev]

So what do we do now; praise the Sony firmware team for knocking up 3D support in four days, or fire them for not getting DNLA/suspend-resume/clock fix completed in nearly a year? Anyway, it's clear to me that 3D support will be listed in this update, but won't work properly until the next update fixes it /BruiserBear.

I just hope this update accidently fixes the Share function.

 

[travisbickle]

How is it suspicious? I don't understand.

Sony had 3D Bluray support ready, but they were waiting for MS to announce it so they could cuss MS out about it on twitter and release it before them... I think?

 

[Dragonborn]

Yes I have read all of that stuff in the past and your post while may be way over my head are very informative and are appreciated. Microsoft isn't really that much better but they have been rolling out FW updates on a more consistent basis. I'm not looking for some published roadmap like you say I am. My frustrations come because some of this stuff seems very basic. You can play Blu-Rays but I cant rip a CD or play mp3's or have a basic picture viewer? The bigger picture that you are pointing to seems like Sony/MS can build UP to that while leaving us with just the basics. The PS3 was great at this.

The PS3 took years to get it to where it is today. Did you have one at launch?

 

[BruiserBear]

The PS3 took years to get it to where it is today. Did you have one at launch?

That is a terrible excuse for the PS4's lack of features.

 

[darkwing]

but I need more stability for my PS4

 

[Ricker]

How about cool wallpapers and themes and the like, thats already on the PS3 Sony...why is it taking so long....?,3d playback...? who cares,no one uses 3D anymore

 

[mangochutney]

Sony had 3D Bluray support ready, but they were waiting for MS to announce it so they could cuss MS out about it on twitter and release it before them... I think?

That... makes no sense.

If it was ready then why would they wait to be first... they'd be first straight after it was ready regardless.

It took them weeks to fix the regressions in one of the earlier FW updates (vibration bug etc) and people seriously think they did this all in, what? 3 days? Come on now...

 

[mike4001_]

Sony had 3D Bluray support ready, but they were waiting for MS to announce it so they could cuss MS out about it on twitter and release it before them... I think?

They had in ready in there upcomming 1.80 firmware which is not complete yet.

Now they decided to put the feature in a seperate 1.75 release beforehand.

(just my thoughts)

 

[chrishackwood]

How about cool wallpapers and themes and the like, thats already on the PS3 Sony...why is it taking so long....?,3d playback...? who cares,no one uses 3D anymore

I use it...

Spoiler

and love it!

 

[Vashetti]

How about cool wallpapers and themes and the like, thats already on the PS3 Sony...why is it taking so long....?,3d playback...? who cares,no one uses 3D anymore

OK.

That... makes no sense.

If it was ready then why would they wait to be first... they'd be first straight after it was ready regardless.

It took them weeks to fix the regressions in one of the earlier FW updates (vibration bug etc) and people seriously think they did this all in, what? 3 days? Come on now...

They had it ready to go in the upcoming big 1.80 update, but instead chose to release it next week after MS's announcement of 3D Blu-ray for the XB1. No way were they going to let MS get that first.

 

[chrishackwood]

They had in ready in there upcomming 1.80 firmware which is not complete yet.

Now they decided to put the feature in a seperate 1.75 release beforehand.

(just my thoughts)

Very possibly. Just hope 1.8 has tons of useful features for everyone!

 

[Murdoch]

People do expect more from their "next gen" consoles. Look at smartphones these days. I couldn't imagine them releasing the Iphone 6 with just the ability to make phone calls. Patching in the ability to text and Itunes months afterwards.

Obviously I'm taking it to the extreme here : ) But I would have thought they would have built UPON the foundations of the PS3, rather than making it a separate entity. Although I have to say; gaming console wise the PS4 has been the best launch purchase I've probably ever made. The damn thing just works for me.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

Sony had 3D Bluray support ready, but they were waiting for MS to announce it so they could cuss MS out about it on twitter and release it before them... I think?

Some people must clearly think that a multi-billion dollar company is run by angry five year olds with no cake. That is not good PR, business, whatever. It is just immensely childish, and punishing to the customer.

Anyone that actually believes this is off their rocker.

 

[Caayn]

...

Very well said.

 

[mrklaw]

OK.



They had it ready to go in the upcoming big 1.80 update, but instead chose to release it next week after MS's announcement of 3D Blu-ray for the XB1. No way were they going to let MS get that first.

consipiracies are always more fun than simply going 'maybe both had the software ready at about the same time'.

People do expect more from their "next gen" consoles. Look at smartphones these days. I couldn't imagine them releasing the Iphone 6 with just the ability to make phone calls. Patching in the ability to text and Itunes months afterwards.

Obviously I'm taking it to the extreme here : ) But I would have thought they would have built UPON the foundations of the PS3, rather than making it a separate entity. Although I have to say; gaming console wise the PS4 has been the best launch purchase I've probably ever made. The damn thing just works for me.

and therefore I would suggest that Sony prioritised correct in terms of which features to get into the OS before launch (although arguably suspend/resume should have been there as they talked about it at the reveal and E3, and it is a core gaming feature). PS360 had years to add new features. While you might consider them standard now, that is still a lot of code to write. Would you delay your console launch past the fall shopping season to make the OS a bit nicer?

Both consoles launched with unfinished OSes. I don't think we'll be waiting 4 years to get them up to par with the last generation either. But likewise it isn't realistic to expect everything in a few weeks.

 

[Dragonborn]

That is a terrible excuse for the PS4's lack of features.

No, it just means things take times. The PS4 delivers on the games front, everything else is secondary. I'm perfectly fine with that since I knew this going in.

 

[Cthulhu_Steev]

That is a terrible excuse for the PS4's lack of features.

It plays games, the install speeds from disc are incredibly fast and I can use YoutubeTv/Plex/etc. already. I'm not really itching for anything extra, it will be nice if and when it arrives but I'm not wetting my pants in anger while I wait.

 

[MikeHaggar]

this is great news. now i can get rid of the dedicated 3d blu ray player i have hooked up. i have a ton of 3d blu rays i need to watch yet. this was the last thing i was hoping to be added to the firmware so i'm good to go!

 

[mrklaw]

this is great news. now i can get rid of the dedicated 3d blu ray player i have hooked up. i have a ton of 3d blu rays i need to watch yet. this was the last thing i was hoping to be added to the firmware so i'm good to go!

good point. I have a 3D bluray player and I'm not sure why it is still hooked up... I think it was because it had some streaming services on it, and it was quicker than booting up my PS3 (plus could be navigated with my IR remote)

the fact that this is coming soon to both PS4 and XB1 means I can choose whichever integrates better. I'd lean towards XB1 as it already has my TV going through it, and definitely will be controllable with my harmony remote. PS4 should also support IR remote via my TV (using HDMI-CEC) though.

 

[RandyBobandy]

People do expect more from their "next gen" consoles. Look at smartphones these days. I couldn't imagine them releasing the Iphone 6 with just the ability to make phone calls. Patching in the ability to text and Itunes months afterwards.

Obviously I'm taking it to the extreme here : ) But I would have thought they would have built UPON the foundations of the PS3, rather than making it a separate entity. Although I have to say; gaming console wise the PS4 has been the best launch purchase I've probably ever made. The damn thing just works for me.

Exactly. For €400 I want my console to do more than play games. Until MS or Sony start including basic features like streaming from media server, mp3s and playing videos from USB, I won't be interested

Which is why I still have PS3

 

[Dead Man]

I'm not getting involved with the 'corporate shill' argument, but I do want to make a case against the 'it's a games console and it plays games so what's the problem?' arguments.

I grew up in the 80/90's, when games consoles - in my case, the NES and Super NES - were defined as boxes that only played games. You plugged the box into your TV, plugged your game of choice into the top and played. Nobody knew what an 'internet' was, let alone streaming or mp3's. You just plugged Street Fighter 2 in, your friend came over and you played a few rounds, then if you wanted to watch a movie you'd put a tape in your parents VCR.

It is now 2014. The definition of what a games console should be capable of at base level has changed. A major contribution to this change in definition stemmed from Sony using Playstation (from the start) as a way to sell other technologies, from the PSOne's CD player (hard to believe but a game changer at the time) and using the PS2 to install DVD players into homes. Blu Ray was a huge part of the PS3 strategy. As a multinational with fingers in a lot of pies, it's been imperative for Sony to use the highly successful Playstation brand to sell products from other Sony services, from Movies to 3d TVs etc. For three generations of hardware, Sony have been about improvement, iteration and device convergence.

Microsoft evolved the game console from the network end, with the success of Live and their party system etc and before you knew it, an internet connection ensured you would get the best from your console, from online multiplayer to netflix to streaming content from your computer to your TV. (Of course, online has brought negatives, such as DLC and Pay to Win but that's for another thread). Sony followed suit and were forced to evolve their network features to compete.

Of course, outside of the console sphere, smart phones and tablets are also feature-rich devices that have had an effect on what people expect their gadgets to do. If Apple released the iPhone 6 without a Music Player, could you imagine the fallout? "Oh, sorry. We at Apple just assumed you wanted to use your iPhone to make calls. It's great at making calls. We'll just patch in Music support at an undisclosed later date. But it's great at making calls- it is a 'phone' after all". Nobody would take it because that would mean their previous phone was more feature-rich and paying for a more expensive version with less features would make no sense.

Sony and Microsoft have contributed to the change of what defines a 'games console'. A games console primary function is games, but it should now also include what many perceive to be base entertainment features. Modern home network support is one such feature. 3D Blu Ray - which sony were flogging to death just a couple of years ago - should have been there at launch.

And don't get me started on the features revealed alongside the PS4 in Feb 2013 - such as suspend/resume - that still aren't here.

The idea of Sony using the "but it's a games console and just plays games" argument in 2014 is absurd, although 'for the players' is a better slogan than 'it only does some of what the machine that only does everything and costs half the price can do'.

I don't want to come across as anti-Sony, or fanboy or whatever (I can't comment on the XBO because I've never touched one) because i'm really not. I'm just annoyed that my PS3 should have been retired in November, but instead I now have two consoles under the TV because the new console is only an upgrade in tech but not in features.

Excellent post.

 

[Panajev2001a]

People do expect more from their "next gen" consoles. Look at smartphones these days. I couldn't imagine them releasing the Iphone 6 with just the ability to make phone calls. Patching in the ability to text and Itunes months afterwards.

Obviously I'm taking it to the extreme here : ) But I would have thought they would have built UPON the foundations of the PS3, rather than making it a separate entity. Although I have to say; gaming console wise the PS4 has been the best launch purchase I've probably ever made. The damn thing just works for me.

Ditching Cell made sense for some things, but OS/features wise it meant hitting a big reset button as a lot of those features were very finely tuned for it. Also, I seem to recall that the whole OS layer is new compared to the hyper visor + GameOS layer they developed with IBM and Toshiba. Hopefully they stick to the same basic OS and CPU architecture and evolve them as they cannot afford to do everything from scratch each time. It would be a huge waste of money.

 

[mangochutney]

They had it ready to go in the upcoming big 1.80 update, but instead chose to release it next week after MS's announcement of 3D Blu-ray for the XB1. No way were they going to let MS get that first.

Is that a theory of your own or?

It isn't easy to just pick out one bit of an update and get it out on it's own so quickly.

Unless 1.80 is aeons away they don't have much need to do it. Else why not put it in 1.74 if it was ready?