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[aceldama]

I think the bigger problem is that Microsoft needs to quit showing and talking about the interface at all. It reminds people how ridiculous and ugly the whole thing is.

As for the OT, the recommendations are absolutely ads. Even if you're OK with them being there, you can't deny they are ads. I would be fine with them if you could turn off recommendations altogether, but you know that won't happen. In no way, shape or form do I want them pushing anything on me that isn't literally ON my system already, unless I go into the store directly. So, unless "recommendations" is shorthand for "previously accessed content," it's another strike against the Xbone. What are we up to now? 17?

 

[Raonak]

Ads(recommendations) should really stick where they belong-. the marketplace. because thats when you're actually looking for new content.

 

[watership]

Ads(recommendations) should really stick where they belong-. the marketplace. because thats when you're actually looking for new content.

Every single creator of content doesn't agree with you. Consumers will complain about ads until the cows come home, but advertising is still the number one way people find out about products.

 

[Raonak]

Every single creator of content doesn't agree with you. Consumers will complain about ads until the cows come home, but advertising is still the number one way people find out about products.

Well, ovbiously content creators won't agree, they want to get their product out to the masses. If they had their way, launching into games would require you to sit through an advert.

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

Well, ovbiously content creators won't agree, they want to get their product out to the masses. If they had their way, launching into games would require you to sit through an advert.

If they had their way it would be like that episode of Futurama where you get commercials in your dream.

 

[RionaaM]

I hope people complaining about content promotion have set Steam to:

1) Automatically load your game library instead of the Store page when you first start it up

2) Turn off content promotion when you exit games

3) Hide content promotion in your community feed so you don't see what your friends are playing

4) Turn off game recommendations as you navigate around Steam



Same thing with your PS3s where you see content promotion right on the XMB when you first turn it on.

1) Done a long time ago.
2) Done a long time ago.
3) I treat the optional Community feed as a forum. "Optional" being the key word here.
4) I treat the optional Steam store page as a store page. Therefore, ads are expected there. "Optional" and "store" being key words.

 

[Stumpokapow]

What the hell is "content promotion"? That sounds like a euphemism for an ad.

I don't feel that I need additional explanation to elaborate on why I made the distinction in my post. I understand if you disagree with me about how bad each is or where you fall on the issue, but the explanation is clear as-is. There are very clearly multiple separate things going on in the 360 dashboard, whether you consider them all ads or some of them ads is your conclusion to make.

 

[Karsticles]

I don't feel that I need additional explanation to elaborate on why I made the distinction in my post. I understand if you disagree with me about how bad each is or where you fall on the issue, but the explanation is clear as-is.

Question: Hulu continually asks me whether their ads are of interest to me, and they use that to better target me as a consumer. Does this eventually mean they go from being ads to content promotion because it's possibly of interest to me?

 

[SirIgbyCeaser]

Yeah because cable box ads are coming to your xbox.

They'll suspend your game.. change the channel and force you to watch TV ads while you're gaming on your connected CIA living room spy console.

They will film your eyes and see if you are actually looking and listening to the ad.

If you try to turn off the console kinect will say "Please stay seated"

You ignore it. Kinect than says "Under US jurisdiction you're now ordered to sit and watch our ads"

"Fuck you kinect"

Kinect than sends an image of you showing the middle finger, and recorded you saying fuck you. It shuts down. Moments later a squad of government officials show up and arrest you for trying to escape the tv ads.

 

[Clefargle]

But once you say "McDonalds!" they will disappear, so they aren't really ads.....right?

 

[RomanticHeroX]

Star Trek is less relevant to me than McDonalds, so I'm calling this a step backwards.

 

[Duji]

FWIW the 360 doesn't have ads if you use your router to adblock them.

Can you a link a guide on the internet on how to do this? And will I need DD-WRT or Tomato to do it?

 

[user_nat]

Star Trek is less relevant to me than McDonalds, so I'm calling this a step backwards.

Good thing that isn't your dashboard. You might get McDonalds.

 

[QaaQer]

I don't feel that I need additional explanation to elaborate on why I made the distinction in my post. I understand if you disagree with me about how bad each is or where you fall on the issue, but the explanation is clear as-is. There are very clearly multiple separate things going on in the 360 dashboard, whether you consider them all ads or some of them ads is your conclusion to make.

Prettty sure companies will be buying that space via this dept of microsoft: http://advertising.microsoft.com/en-ca/ad-solutions

Advertising is a big part of the future of xbox, windows, skype, and bing. And content promotion is advertising.

 

[Durante]

So there are still ads.

Sorry, I don't make a distinction between "content promotion" and ads. That's ridiculous marketing doublespeak. (The mandatory Singstar icon on PAL PS3s is also an ad)

If anything, "content promotions" are a subset of ads.

 

[dezzy8]

I like these "promotions". You see a star trek promotion, click on it and it takes you to the marketplace to rent/buy the movie.

Xbox 360 ads. You see ads for shit that's not even related to the fucking console. I remember seeing McDonald's ads and World of Warcraft ads before I got rid of my 360s. If I clicked on one those I'd just see an annoying video advertisement.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Oh, well, that's certainly good news.

 

[Raoh]

They haven't made the deals yet. Can't promote and make deals on a system that isn't out yet.

It would be like changing don't or citibank for ad space on a soccer stadium that hasn't been built yey.

 

[kadotsu]

In other news: XBOX ONE has no DRM, just a Software Licensing Environment.

 

[paradise_circus]

It's a relief that the PS4 still has the What's new?- section for that and even better the friends page or whatever it is called.

 

[Metalmurphy]

I don't feel that I need additional explanation to elaborate on why I made the distinction in my post. I understand if you disagree with me about how bad each is or where you fall on the issue, but the explanation is clear as-is. There are very clearly multiple separate things going on in the 360 dashboard, whether you consider them all ads or some of them ads is your conclusion to make.

An ad isn't really a subjective thing, even if it's importance may vary between users.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

Anything thats not game related is an ad that people do not want. Ads of game content is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Seth Balmore]

Are there any technical differences between an advertisement and content promotion? Honest question.

 

[Nevasleep]

I think I prefer ads to content promotion.
I usually know what content I'm going to purchase, so ads can be slightly more interesting, compared to movies and music that I'm never going to rent.

 

[CLEEK]

Regarding semantics around the various terms:

If I get prompted to view or buy a product - game or otherwise - I don't already own, that's an ad. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Rapstah]

When the Xbone gets a Pizza Hut app or a McDonald's app, do ads for those things stop being ads?

 

[Eric_S]

I'm not a native English speaker, but I always thought that advertisements where a promotion of a good, service or job, and a recommendation is a statement about what you ought to do? And therefore they are not exclusive statements?

And as such an advertisement can be the same thing as an recommendation if the primary purpose is to change your consumption patterns for the benefit of some entity other than you. Usually with the expectation of a revenue stream for the one doing the pushing.

What is more annoying to me than having content pushed upon me that I didn't ask for is that the larger the money stream from advertisements become, the more insignificant I become as a revenue stream and the more important the advertisers become. So that I move from being a customer that needs to be catered too, to being a product sold.

 

[IMBored]

Nice try Microsoft but I've already seen the first dasboard update for the Xone:

 

[RedNumberFive]

I still love how Microsoft has conditioned it's users to reinterpret advertisements as "content promotions". It would be hilarious if it weren't so sad.

 

[Htown]

So you'd rather you weren't able to see content that's potentially relevant to you then?

targeted ads are still ads

and like Durante said, making a distinction between "ads" and "content promotions" is stupid marketing doublespeak.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

And whats wrong with that?

Can't speak for him but for me; if I'm paying for a service I want to be exposed to ONLY what I want to be exposed to.

Including "helpful recommendations".

Considering how they handled XBL this gen, Microsoft has squandered the right to even whisper advertisements to me, let alone shout them.

 

[SirMossyBloke]

Anything thats not game related is an ad that people do not want. Ads of game content is perfectly acceptable.

Speak for yourself, but if I see something on the dashboard telling me of a new Netflix original being available i'd be happy. That's not gaming related.

 

[Black Mantis]

you have to get through "trending" to get to games. I expect ads, but thanks MS for being gentle while you shove them down my throat.

also recommendations... kind of ads, even if they don't claim they are.

You can "Pin" your games though, so they'll appear on the My Pins page.

 

[syllogism]

targeted ads are still ads

and like Durante said, making a distinction between "ads" and "content promotions" is stupid marketing doublespeak.

It's not 'stupid' at all because it appears that many people view them quite differently and as such it's helpful to be provide more information about the kind of advertisements they would be subjected to. What is stupid is insisting that there is no difference at all, when the actual relevant issue with advertisements is that people generally don't like them. Great, they are both ads, but that conclusion isn't important at all.

 

[Black Mantis]

Speak for yourself, but if I see something on the dashboard telling me of a new Netflix original being available i'd be happy. That's not gaming related.

This. I don't mind any ads on my Xbox, as long as they're for content I can purchase on it.

 

[Lambda Pie]

lol, "content promotion". it's ads, don't dance around it.

 

[CHC]

Guys this entire picture is an AD!! They're ADVERTISING the home screen and Xbone by showing this picture in the first place. You can bet your ass there will be real ads on the home screen when it launches.

 

[Ravensmash]

I still love how Microsoft has conditioned it's users to reinterpret advertisements as "content promotions". It would be hilarious if it weren't so sad.

Only this exists on a variety of platforms, and implying that Microsoft 'conditioned' anyone is giving them too much credit.

The BBC is often praised for being ad free - yet they still run brief trails for their own content in order to promote items directly linked to the service you are watching.

Xbox Live is a marketplace, for MS to not link to content on their own store would be stupid. They're not even obtrusive!

I view a difference between an ad linking me to a new indie game that's appearing on the marketplace, and a car advertisment which leads to absolutely nothing. There is a clear distinction there.

 

[Danj]

Seems like the time of endless McDonald's wraps

Wait.. you can order McDonald's on your Xbox? Is that a thing that's just North America only? Haven't seen it here.

 

[sleepykyo]

Those are ads.

 

[PanicFreak]

you have to get through "trending" to get to games. I expect ads, but thanks MS for being gentle while you shove them down my throat.

also recommendations... kind of ads, even if they don't claim they are.

You don't need to do anything. You need to say "Xbox play [insert game here]"

 

[Tylahedras]

If you show me something that I can't access without paying more money then it's an advertisement. Period.

If Netflix just got Startrek into darkness and Xbone is informing me so I can watch it, that's cool, and that's not an ad because nothing is being purchased, Xbone knows I already have Netflix.

But that's obviously not the case here. Clearly that's an ad to try try to get me to buy or rent Startrek into darkness. I have to assume that people are confused by the term "recommendation." Newsflash, Facebook gives me "recommendations" all the time, they aren't based on what I like, I know because I have literally NEVER liked anything on Facebook. THESE ARE ADVERTISEMENTS.

I guess if I have to explain that these companies aren't your personal product Nostradamus then they've already won. Kusdos to them, the slippery fuckers.

 

[Jedi2016]

In general, I don't mind ads for content that they're actually selling directly, but I would prefer them to be only visible in the actual online store (where they're actually sold). What I really hate is seeing ads for things that I can't actually buy directly.. like Doritos and Mountain Dew. If a user can't just click on the item and buy it, then it shouldn't be visible in the damn store. I think those are the "ads" that MS is referring to by saying they're not visible on the home screen. But the wording of the statement only said the home screen, strongly implying that such BS ads will be visible elsewhere.

That's another of my pet peeves, is seeing ads on a service that I'm already paying for. Most websites that offer premium models actually use the lack of ads as a sales feature.. "Go Premium and no more ads!", reserving the ads only for those users that are using the free service. i.e. only Silver XBL members would ever see ads, since they've got to nickel and dime those people some way.

Makes me wonder how Sony's going to play this, with the new paywall version of PS+.

 

[Ravensmash]

If you show me something that I can't access without paying more money then it's an advertisement. Period.

If Netflix just got Startrek into darkness and Xbone is informing me so I can watch it, that's cool, and that's not an ad because nothing is being purchased, Xbone knows I already have Netflix.

But that's obviously not the case here. Clearly that's an ad to try try to get me to buy or rent Startrek into darkness. I have to assume that people are confused by the term "recommendation." Newsflash, Facebook gives me "recommendations" all the time, they aren't based on what I like, I know because I have literally NEVER liked anything on Facebook. THESE ARE ADVERTISEMENTS.

I guess if I have to explain that these companies aren't your personal product Nostradamus then they've already won. Kusdos to them, the slippery fuckers.

But could you not argue that putting store content on the main page is actually beneficial to developers/publishers in terms of highlighting releases. Games on the Xbox Live Marketplace often get much less press than those AAA blockbusters - if MS place a direct link/promote such a new release on their main page then is it such a bad thing? Would be interesting to see how many more sales a game gets if it's promoted across the home screen as opposed to hidden away in the dedicated store. I realise that sounds like some form of corporate apologism lol, but from another perspective you can't expect MS to drop something to little benefit if it's actually serving these companies well.

Similarly with marketplace deals which would otherwise have gone unnoticed - anecdotally I've purchased items because of their promotion on the tiles, and whether you believe it's right for MS to try and get you to buy things on their digital service, you can't deny that it makes perfect sense from their perspective.

Of course it'd be nicer for ME if there was nothing there or they were replaced with other features, but as of current they are unobtrusive and do not affect the user experience in any form other than their appearance.

 

[Ghazi]

Yeah because cable box ads are coming to your xbox.

They'll suspend your game.. change the channel and force you to watch TV ads while you're gaming on your connected CIA living room spy console.

They will film your eyes and see if you are actually looking and listening to the ad.

If you try to turn off the console kinect will say "Please stay seated"

You ignore it. Kinect than says "Under US jurisdiction you're now ordered to sit and watch our ads"

"Fuck you kinect"

Kinect than sends an image of you showing the middle finger, and recorded you saying fuck you. It shuts down. Moments later a squad of government officials show up and arrest you for trying to escape the tv ads.

My face as I read this:

 

[EGM1966]

Content promotion are advertisements - you can't juggle semantics or pretend the meaning of words are just opinions and you have a different opinion than the dictionary and accepted usage.

Content promotion are targeted ads vs general ads, that's all.

Anything that is promoting something you don't have to you is an advert. Anything that is promoting something that you don't have and which costs money to access is a funded advert.

The home screen shown has advertisements. Targeted ones for content for sure - but still advertisements. All it means is that instead of general adverts I'm going to see content specific adverts.

I cannot believe the way people will twist and turn on this kind of stuff. It's like they want to invent new meanings for stuff that conflicts with their pre-set world view.

 

[Ravensmash]

Content promotion are advertisements - you can't juggle semantics or pretend the meaning of words are just opinions and you have a different opinion than the dictionary and accepted usage.

Content promotion are targeted ads vs general ads, that's all.

Anything that is promoting something you don't have to you is an advert. Anything that is promoting something that you don't have and which costs money to access is a funded advert.

The home screen shown has advertisements. Targeted ones for content for sure - but still advertisements. All it means is that instead of general adverts I'm going to see content specific adverts.

I cannot believe the way people will twist and turn on this kind of stuff. It's like they want to invent new meanings for stuff that conflicts with their pre-set world view.

I think a lot of people are questioning why such ads/content promotion/whatever are so inherently negative and thus a cause for further negativity to be thrown towards MS - this seems like a very minor quibble in comparison to the wider issues regarding the Xbone.

 

[Night_Trekker]

"Yes, you'll be eating a big shit sandwich. But we can confirm the shitter didn't have Mexican food the night before."

 

[Nibiru]

I think that if you subscribe to something and pay monthly you should never see an ad. If you get a free version of the service you should get ads.

 

[EGM1966]

I think a lot of people are questioning why such ads/content promotion/whatever are so inherently negative and thus a cause for further negativity to be thrown towards MS - this seems like a very minor quibble in comparison to the wider issues regarding the Xbone.

TBH it's the distortion of language that annoys me. I can totally understand someone liking or having no issue with content recommendation. I can totally respect some people have no issue with it being on various menus/screens of devices they own.

Whether you like it or not is an opinion. But I just can't ignore people trying to say content promotion isn't advertising. That's not an opinion. It is advertising.

I'm personally fine with content promotion/advertising so long as I retain enough control of it and can determine whether to opt in/out of it (such as with Steam).

But I hate to watch people try and twist the meaning of words.