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[R3TRODYCE]

I like how he mentioned that the console was designed to have Kinect ubiquitous to the platform. That developers have this assurance means we should finally be seeing some more interesting use of the device.

Agreed.

 

[Syphon Filter]

this is really good PR. wouldn't be surprised if it actually WAS officially sanctioned, but presented this way to give it the appearance that it's not for authenticity.

no real surprises here.

The XboxOne revolves around kinect, it's far too integrated to ever remove. In addition microsoft has made promises to game developers that 100% of units will incorporate it.

game sharing was "full games" and DRM "had benefits" but no information outside of that.

There is no secret sauce, the PS4 is clearly more powerful. "how much" is the only thing up for debate.

It is interesting to see a company (non)spokesman engaging the community honestly to share how they view things and their vision for the system, rather than the clearly BS talking points and corporate arrogance we were getting before.

They can remove kinect and absolutely have to before launch.

 

[shola]

That is a insult to Darksiders 2 which has arguably one of the best western combat systems this generation. The only thing better is DmC and that was by and large the product of continuous input from Capcom Japan.

How is it an insult, he actually played the bloody game to be able to make a comparison while you only see like a 5 min gameplay video

 

[hawk2025]

Wait, the Kinect camera is 30 fps

Correct me if I'm being stupid, but what does that mean for gameplay of potential games that run at 60 fps? You would always get a bit of jankiness, right?

 

[Rawket Lawnchair]

Could've, should've, would've.

They didn't.

Pretty much this. And they won't.

 

[mrklaw]

Because Reddit AMA.

An AMA doesn't mean he knows everything

 

[Alchemy]

Why would MS still be spinning the DRM stuff? I mean, the battle is pretty much over and most people don't care anymore.

On the other hand the spec stuff people still care about.

Microsoft is in it for the long haul, they still want all the DRM stuff they simply pushed it aside because they still want to sell their product. I'm willing to bet their strategy is now going to be "keep talking about how awesome the DRM stuff was" so they can ease it into the next Xbone and hopefully avoid the crazy backlash.

 

[Omni]

We would get two identical consoles with identical features and identical games and it would be boring.

Not particularly. Would it not be possible to have all(most) of the multimedia features available now, without Kinect? Just run them through the controller. Throw in a headset if they're so reliant on voice controls.

Plus this generation wasn't particularly boring and ultimately both consoles are pretty damn similar.

 

[cyberheater]

Okay so this is kind of a terrible AMA. He sounds like an MS spokesperson. He isn't commenting on anything that hasn't already been spoken for.

I've read the REDDIT thread (or whatever it's called). The guy clearly stated that he is not going to break NDA which is fair enough. He has provided some nice little bits of information though which is quite welcoming.

 

[PopcornMegaphone]

simple. Right now their biggest problem isn't the PS4, or the launch price, it's that core gamers who were paying attention in venues like Reddit, NeoGAF, or similar forums perceive microsoft as having tried to force some extremely noxious policies on gamers, while Sony is some kind of champion of consumer rights and used games for all.

Right now the PS4 is currently preferred something like 80-20 among the core among any poll you choose to look at, and this is why. Specs matter, games matter, but coming off as "Fuck you, pay me" overrides all of that. No one cheers for a bully.

Getting those potential customers back starts with spinning DRM as not a soulless, cynical money grab in which microsoft assumed we were all thieves, but instead a friendly policy that would have allowed us to share games among ourselves without restrictions! who doesn't love that? and it was full games, we promise! but you'll never see it because you didn't give us a chance to explain it!

I think you read too much GAF and it has skewed your perspective on what the broader market cares about.

 

[Averon]

Last MS exec interview they basically said that it was their fault on not properly messaging the benefits of DRM and then talking about all the people who liked those benefits.

Is pretty clear that the DRM reversal is just a strategic retreat, they clearly want them back.

Yup. Everything I'm hearing from MS post-180 tells me they're itching to take another stab at their draconian DRM scheme, except next time it will be packaged in much nicer sounding PR.

 

[WrenchNinja]

Ha also said he wouldn't break any NDA.
At the moment, I don't think there are many reasons to believe in the 1-hour restriction. We only got a single, shady "source" about it, and it doesn't make too much sense that way : if it is only a demo for t

Cboat is a shady source? How?

 

[Speedy Blue Dude]

ICECOLD!!

I guess it was like: "yeah you bought all those 3rd party E3 exclusive showings just for nothing"

What third parties? That rumor wasn't true and you know it. Only third party that Microsoft showed were Metal Gear Solid V and Dark Souls 2. Sony showed more third party games than Microsoft.

 

[benny_a]

Wait, the Kinect camera is 30 fps

Yeah at 1080p. It could be 60 fps at 720p.

 

[Manmademan]

They can remove kinect and absolutely have to before launch.

they can't and won't. Did you read the AMA?

Microsoft has made guarantees to developers that all Xbox Ones will come with Kinect built in, so they will support the device within their games.

hypothetically, if they removed it tomorrow and kinect only has a 30% adoption rate, you'll be looking at pissed devs and lawsuits. And this ignores the agreements with advertisers as well, which you KNOW are there but microsoft isn't talking about. Kinect being always on allows advertisers to know exactly who is watching tv, or playing a game specifically- number of viewers, age, gender, etc. This is what neilsen has been trying to do for decades and is worth a mint.

Kinect isn't going anywhere.

 

[iMax]

They can remove kinect and absolutely have to before launch.

No, they can't. There's probably nearly a hundred (if not more) games in development for Xbox One right now, that are all leveraging specific tools and resources based on the presumption of the presence of the Kinect sensor. Just like the hard drive on the original Xbox, removing an indispensable component would have significant effects.

 

[LTWheels]

A couple here:
How does DirectX 11.2 compare to OpenGL, and what advantages does it give you that OpenGL doesn't do just as well/at all?
The Xbox One architecture - how does it compare to earlier machines? Will it be easy to code and optimize for?
Would we also see the best graphics on Xbox this generation as well? (Multiplatform)

[–]XboxOneDevConfirmed XB1 Dev 31 points 16 hours ago
I code apps for the Xbox One like I code for win8 apps

Hmm, interesting.

 

[cyberheater]

I agree with the bolded part. Its not something you ever want to publicly admit.

The question now is not 'is the PS4 stronger'. It's really about how much. Just how wide is the gap. I personally don't think the gap is as big as folks think it will be.

 

[JABEE]

We would get two identical consoles with identical features and identical games and it would be boring.

Has there been any evidence that Kinect camera is a device that can actually be used to enhance the way we play games. It's cool for dance games and games that don't require much precision, but how does the new Kinect improve on the message of you being the controller? They didn't show any of this at E3 and its application in games that core audiences care about.

I would rather have two publishers and their internal studios working on powerful hardware or new control schemes and methods that make sense than to continue down the path the Kinect blazed this past generation.

As an outsider it seems like an input device that serves consumers of media, TV, and UI. To devote that much of the system's bill of materials indicates that the television aspects of the system and the mass market are the target with this product. Not gamers.

 

[Manmademan]

I think you read too much GAF and it has skewed your perspective on what the broader market care about.

note I didn't say anything about the broader market. I said the core.

Do you think microsoft "doesn't care" what the core thinks about it's console leading up to launch? who do you think lines up at midnight to pay $500 on launch day? Who do you think literally all of the E3 launch titles were aimed at?

Microsoft cant produce more than a few million consoles within the first year. neither can Sony. The pricing is high enough and games scarce enough that you're relying on the core to carry it though the initial first year or so.

 

[cyberheater]

Hmm, interesting.

Yes I thought it was interesting too. He might mean that he's just using the same visual studio application for both PC and Xbox One development.

 

[bigbaldwolf86]

Cboat is a shady source? How?

He was talking about the pastebin post not Cboat

 

[WrenchNinja]

Yea, and there were benefits. Benefits that we no longer have. I don't care what anyone says.

This was bs when it first came up, and it's still bs now. It was full games with no time limit.

What benefits were there? You want to plug your ears because you and them have no argument. Microsoft execs saying it was full games after the fact is meaningless bullshit.

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

I think you read too much GAF and it has skewed your perspective on what the broader market care about.

Historically, the broader market has only ever cared about price and EA. MS is sharing the latter and loses out on the former.

 

[Barkley's Justice]

Sort of, like, nothing.

 

[WrenchNinja]

He was talking about the pastebin post not Cboat

Cboat confirmed it though

m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=65154131

 

[RetroStu]

Yup. Everything I'm hearing from MS post-180 tells me they're itching to take another stab at their draconian DRM scheme, except next time it will be packaged in much nicer sounding PR.

Xbox 4 maybe bot not with Xbox One. Look at the amount of backlash and bad press they got over the DRM issues, they even sacked their head Xbox guy over it for christ sake!, can you imagine the amount of bad press they would get if they reversed their decision and actually went back to it mid generation. Its not going to happen.

 

[Black-Box]

Cboat is a shady source? How?

1 hour demo doesn't make sense if only one person can play it at a time. Also they said DLC is shared as well. Most of the time you wouldn't get a chance to even use the DLC.

 

[hawk2025]

Has there been any evidence that Kinect camera is a device that can actually be used to enhance the way we play games. It's cool for dance games and games that don't require much precision, but how does the new Kinect improve on the message of you being the controller? They didn't show any of this at E3 and its application in games that core audiences care about.

I would rather have two publishers and their internal studios working on powerful hardware or new control schemes and methods that make sense than to continue down the path the Kinect blazed this past generation.

As an outsider it seems like an input device that serves consumers of media, TV, and UI. To devote that much of the system's bill of materials indicates that the television aspects of the system and the mass market are the target with this product. Not gamers.

Which is precisely why I don't understand people that think having the Kinect bundled in will bring so many new gameplay experiences.

The problem with the original wasn't just that it didn't quite work that well -- the ideas themselves for the games just weren't fun from a gameplay perspective.

I would absolutely love to be proven wrong, though. I'm getting the system day one, but it's on Microsoft to prove to everyone else that the Kinect is a valuable addition to core gaming -- I see no reason to simply believe they will deliver what they couldn't over the past few years with the concept of Kinect.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

1 hour demo doesn't make sense if only one person can play it at a time. Also they said DLC is shared as well. Most of the time you wouldn't get a chance to even use the DLC.

Things like skins, weapons and other things could be used....

 

[hawk2025]

Yeah at 1080p. It could be 60 fps at 720p.

Source?

But does my question about gameplay make sense? I honestly don't know.


Edit: Woops, sorry for the double post, I thought I had posted the previous one in a different thread.

 

[Manmademan]

Xbox 4 maybe bot not with Xbox One. Look at the amount of backlash and bad press they got over the DRM issues, they even sacked their head Xbox guy over it for christ sake!, can you imagine the amount of bad press they would get if they reversed their decision and actually went back to it mid generation. Its not going to happen.

This is not what happened. Mattrick chose to go to Zynga, he wasn't forced out. note that MS still doesn't have anyone to replace him.

 

[Mxrz]

That all reads like straight Microsoft PR.

That DRM stuff is coming back just as soon as people buy the console. Everything out of MS boils down to "We didn't message it right!"

 

[ebullientprism]

Between this, the petition (almost certainly started by an MS shill) and that other interview, all this "honestly guize the drm was awesome we just didnt market it right" BS is making me a little wary that they do plan on bringing it back.

 

[PopcornMegaphone]

note I didn't say anything about the broader market. I said the core.

Do you think microsoft "doesn't care" what the core thinks about it's console leading up to launch? who do you think lines up at midnight to pay $500 on launch day? Who do you think literally all of the E3 launch titles were aimed at?

Microsoft cant produce more than a few million consoles within the first year. neither can Sony. The pricing is high enough and games scarce enough that you're relying on the core to carry it though the initial first year or so.

The core has moved on. GAF is a more hardcore community.

Historically, the broader market has only ever cared about price and EA. MS is sharing the latter and loses out on the former.

I agree that price is a real negative for XB1 right now. DRM is not.

 

[Black-Box]

Xbox 4 maybe bot not with Xbox One. Look at the amount of backlash and bad press they got over the DRM issues, they even sacked their head Xbox guy over it for christ sake!, can you imagine the amount of bad press they would get if they reversed their decision and actually went back to it mid generation. Its not going to happen.

Family sharing if a full game wouldn't work with out DRM because if you went offline you would be able to keep the game as long as you want.

Also without DRM all the discs you buy you would be able to still sell game back and be able to play it.

They need better DRM more like Steam.

You also can't trade PC games so they don't have to worry about you getting rid of the game. Which is why they had the 24hr DRM or else people would essentially be renting games which isn't fair for business owners.

 

[bigbaldwolf86]

Cboat confirmed it though

m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=65154131

I know that but clearly he missed it

 

[I2amza]

"The majority of the masses care only about the console, except that the success of the Kinect carries much more weight to us. The sensor costs almost as much as the console to make."

"As I mentioned earlier, I don't know what price point the Xbox One would be at without the Kinect, but it would be much less than 399.

I see it not as a market that no longer exists, but one that haven't been explored due to technological limitations."

How in the world is the Kinect almost as expensive as the console? Is it made out of gold and I just don't know it?

 

[RetroStu]

This is not what happened. Mattrick chose to go to Zynga, he wasn't forced out. note that MS still doesn't have anyone to replace him.

Well yeah they wouldn't have would they as they didn't intend on sacking him until the E3 backlash did they!. Anyway no one knows for sure but its a bit of a coincedence isn't it that the head Xbox guy 'leaves' a couple of weeks after some of the worst bad press Microsoft have probably ever seen.

 

[Manmademan]

The core has moved on. GAF is a more hardcore community.

Needless distinctions. I'll go so far as to separate casual customers that like to get in a round of madden, Call of duty, or kinect sports and literally nothing else, and the "core" that buys several games a year, but that's about it.

Gaf might be a "hardcore" forum, but Reddit has something like 70 million users a month, and the DRM issue occupied the front page for a solid week, and not in a good way.

THAT kind of negative reaction getting that much traction is most certainly something microsoft would be concerned about.

Well yeah they wouldn't have would they as they didn't intend on sacking him until the E3 backlash did they!. Anyway no one knows for sure but its a bit of a coincedence isn't it that the head Xbox guy 'leaves' a couple of weeks after some of the worst bad press Microsoft have probably ever seen.

CEO level firings don't quite work that way. simply "firing" mattrick would have cost microsoft tens to hundreds of millions in "golden parachute" fees. That didn't happen here. Keep in mind also that he wasn't "fired", simply confirmed to be working for Zynga when the news hit. there was no gap. so you're talking microsoft going through the necessary motions to fire him AND Zynga negotiating a deal worth tens of millions to hire him in a matter of weeks behind closed doors- all because of E3? it's not realistic.

 

[Guymelef]

That all reads like straight Microsoft PR.

That DRM stuff is coming back just as soon as people buy the console. Everything out of MS boils down to "We didn't message it right!"

Yeah. ""We didn't message it right!"" but still they are unable to explain how it would be...

 

[Syphon Filter]

This is not what happened. Mattrick chose to go to Zynga, he wasn't forced out. note that MS still doesn't have anyone to replace him.

isn't Julie replacing him?

 

[Sean*O]

Now we get to see this daily reputation management BS. Guy works at MS gets all kinds of perks but wants to go rogue on message board and tow company lines.

CBOAT, now there is a poster truly concerned with being found out and not some astroturfer.

MS is the most untrustworthy company I can think of right now. Kinect is worth burying your system for why exactly? Because its now nothing but a marketing spybot dressed up as a gaming control device.

Their goal is not to make people fucking happy, it is to study them.

 

[8bits]

Why would an Xbox One OS dev on Reddit talking about trashed features through ambiguous, overarching statements have any reason to mislead me?

Beause if what the dev says is true than the family plan would have been one positive thing about the X1 that ps fanboys couldn't spin into something negative without looking like total morons.

There are a lot of awesome features with the ps4 and it's a beautiful piece of kit but there are also a lot of really cool things about the X1 and it's also going to be a great system. Unfortunately ps4 fanboys are too insecure to admit that.

 

[RetroStu]

How in the world is the Kinect almost as expensive as the console? Is it made out of gold and I just don't know it?

Its annoying because they could of either made the machine into a freaking powerhouse or had the price at like $299 or even less for the current version without freaking kinect.

The power thing doesn't actually bother me as games from this generation still impress me graphicly so i'm not going to worry about a machine with upwards of 10 times the power but thats not the point is it.

 

[Manmademan]

isn't Julie replacing him?

news to me, but looks like that was confirmed 1 day ago.

 

[qa_engineer]

They can remove kinect and absolutely have to before launch.

You do realize a lot of the OS is built around the camera right? If they remove it then they have to make a lot of modifications to OS functionality. It's not that simple. Had they designed the OS with the camera as optional then I would agree with your sentiments. Could it happen? Yes. Will it happen at launch? Probably not.

 

[Dysun]

Surprised to see anyone aligned with Microsoft just state PS4 has better specs, even if it's obvious

 

[werks]

isn't Julie replacing him?

No, windows phone guy is head of all hardware & services.

 

[qa_engineer]

Beause if what the dev says is true than the family plan would have been one positive thing about the X1 that ps fanboys couldn't spin into something negative without looking like total morons.

There are a lot of awesome features with the ps4 and it's a beautiful piece of kit but there are also a lot of really cool things about the X1 and it's also going to be a great system. Unfortunately ps4 fanboys are too insecure to admit that.

I don't think the word insecure means what you think it means. Insecure has to do with self esteem and ones level of confidence.