New consoles/E3 2013 thread

  On 7/2/2013 at 9:24 AM, jasondonervan said:

Don Mattrick 'leaving' Microsoft to go and head up Zynga instead. Hmm... wonder what could have prompted that sudden move...

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2013 by jasondonervan

Well.. at least he got one of the biggest PR blunders in entertainment history on his CV before he leaves.

 

Good jerb.

the zynga thing would have been organised pre the xbone release i would imagine. He's taking a risk going to zynga though, maybe it's his chance to turn it around, prove himself.

I don't appreciate the condescending approach that video takes. That guy practically addresses The Internet™ as if he's got some sort of inside line to the inner-workings of Microsoft. Why couldn't they just turn around and 'encourage' Mattrick to move on? Is that so unlikely? As unlikely, say, as doing a complete backtrack on the fundamental approach you were planning to take on used games/always connected product?

Edited July 2, 2013 by jasondonervan

Next month's Edge magazine cover:

 

 

looks like a xbox bashfest.

  On 7/2/2013 at 3:32 PM, jasondonervan said:

Why couldn't they just turn around and 'encourage' Mattrick to move on? Is that so unlikely?

I don't think it's so much as him leaving as it is having got such a high up role at Zynga in such a short space of time (as in starting next week). CEO roles take a long amount of negotiation time, especially with the whole 'gardening leave' for breaches in company confidentiality.

I suppose that does make sense - either way, it doesn't help Microsoft much.

 

That Edge cover (if real) is pretty tacky. I used to buy it religiously every month since around 1998, but stopped about 3 years ago as it couldn't compete with the Internet for instant news, and the brilliant articles that the magazine was renowned for carrying just dried up. It's pretty bad that they've allowed a cover that so flagrantly writes something off that they'll have to cover for the next few years (if the magazine doesn't get canned by then, of course).

Yeah in the UK Edge used to be pretty much the de facto gaming magazine in the late 90s - early 00s. Well written, excellent design and a whole bunch of fascinating behind the scenes articles. Not quite sure what happened to turn them into this weird sensationalist magazine.

  On 7/2/2013 at 4:28 PM, mcbpete said:

Not quite sure what happened to turn them into this weird sensationalist magazine.

 

In short: desperation. They were too slow to adapt to having a strong online presence, and have been all but usurped by upstart blogging sites that filled the gap. It's probably generational too, kids today won't give two hoots for Edge's historical significance in regards to videogame journalism.

That article/cover was obviously written before Microturd did a 360 (see what I did there) and reversed course on the no used games/phoning home features of the Xbone.

 

I've heard their preorders actually shot ahead of the PS4s after that announcement.

 

They're still shooting themselves in the foot with one thing that nobody's really talking about - the PS4 and Xbone both come with a 500GB HDD standard, and the PS4 can be upgraded using any laptop HDD, or hook an external HDD via USB for extra capacity. The XBone still has a non-removable, non-upgradable HDD like the 360 does (although the 360 can accept larger Microturd HDD "modules" to increase the capacity (although I don't think they sell anything over 250GB at the moment, and it's ridiculously overpriced compared to a stock HDD).

 

Now, with this generation, HDD space wasn't that critical, because 75% of the games were disc-based and didn't require an install in most cases.

 

With both the PS4 and Xbone, installs (disc or otherwise) are mandatory (at least on XBone I know for sure). How fast do you think games on Blu-Ray disc will fill up that (potentially) 50GB of space per disc (yes, I know most games are 10-15GB average, with only a few entering the 20+GB range), especially with the next generation games using higher resolution textures, which will take up a lot more space?

 

With either option, you've realistically got space for around 20-30 disc-based games, assuming you're not downloading other stuff like music, videos, etc. (and Microturd is making that a focus of their system), not to mention the space the OS takes up (remember the Surface tablets? 64GB storage with more than 10% of that devoted to the OS).

But... a 360 is a full circle.

  On 7/2/2013 at 5:12 PM, Friendly Foil said:

But... a 360 is a full circle.

A circle that's red and flashing.

The RROD was only 3/4 of a circle. Ha! Still going.

  On 7/2/2013 at 5:12 PM, Friendly Foil said:

But... a 360 is a full circle.

You always spoil my fun by making sense!

it was hilarious and not at all cringe-inducing when you used the word Microturd 6 times

Well, from what I remember you could run media that wasn't game related off a standard external (formatted properly) so maybe people will do something like that. It is also possible that they may have an external harddrive that will connect via usb that one could use when they run out of space It would be awesome to be able to install and SSD on your console though.

I somehow think Ballmer as boss of Xbone is a good idea.

He can not hold a candle a S. Jobs or T. Cook.

 

 

But I definitely want to play Mariokart against him.

If he positions himself as that nice gamer uncle CEO, it will be fun.

  On 7/2/2013 at 6:21 PM, AdieuErsatzEnnui said:

Well, from what I remember you could run media that wasn't game related off a standard external (formatted properly) so maybe people will do something like that. It is also possible that they may have an external harddrive that will connect via usb that one could use when they run out of space It would be awesome to be able to install and SSD on your console though.

With PS3/PS4, you can certainly use an SSD. I'm considering getting a 1 or 2TB External HDD for the PS4 when the 500GB starts to get down to 100GB or less. I have an old 3TB one I could repurpose for that, and it would give me an excuse to buy a NAS as my Time Machine backup on my network...

 

  On 7/2/2013 at 7:48 PM, phling said:

I somehow think Ballmer as boss of Xbone is a good idea.

He can not hold a candle a S. Jobs or T. Cook.

 

 

But I definitely want to play Mariokart against him.

If he positions himself as that nice gamer uncle CEO, it will be fun.

I love the fact Ballmer is in charge. Considering the stellar work he's done with Windows 8, XBone will be a smashing success.

FYI any newcomers: Joyrex has shares in Sony. It's not that he's a despicable corporate fanboy or anything like that.

I don't own shares in Sony, Obel - I'd consider myself more of an Apple fanboy then a Sony one, to be honest. I just like Sony's approach to gaming for the most part. They're certainly not without their glaring failures and really stupid decisions. The PS Vita is one - had they not made the memory format proprietary like they've done umpteen times in the past (MiniDisc, Betamax, Memory Stick, SACD, etc.), it would have helped a bit in selling the system. They still have time to turn it around though if they get some more solid AAA titles out for it, because it's an amazing little machine.

 

And fucking LOL at your avatar! Is that Thomas the BoC Engine glaring at Mike P?

  On 7/2/2013 at 9:32 PM, Joyrex said:

They're certainly not without their glaring failures and really stupid decisions. The PS Vita is one -

 

They still have time to turn it around though if they get some more solid AAA titles out for it, because it's an amazing little machine.

 

The Vita's much-touted selling point by Sony at launch was it's ability to host 'console game quality' experiences, which widely missed the mark as most people don't want to use a handheld system for that, but for gaming in short bursts on the commute or whatever. Skip forward to the present day, and Sony are now making a big push to get 'indie' (hate that term) developers on board. Hotline Miami came out last week and it fits the Vita like a (Vita-shaped) glove. If anything, Sony should keep pooling their efforts into making the Vita the go to machine for fun quirky indie titles, rather than trying to shoehorn overly-ambitious/costly AAA titles that most Vita owners will go to their console/PC for.

  On 7/2/2013 at 9:32 PM, Joyrex said:

I don't own shares in Sony, Obel - I'd consider myself more of an Apple fanboy then a Sony one, to be honest. I just like Sony's approach to gaming for the most part. They're certainly not without their glaring failures and really stupid decisions. The PS Vita is one - had they not made the memory format proprietary like they've done umpteen times in the past (MiniDisc, Betamax, Memory Stick, SACD, etc.), it would have helped a bit in selling the system. They still have time to turn it around though if they get some more solid AAA titles out for it, because it's an amazing little machine.

 

And fucking LOL at your avatar! Is that Thomas the BoC Engine glaring at Mike P?

 

In honour of the release of the latest album the other week was mike p appreciation week, (which was extended by a week cause of the awesome BoC tape smash), a few people put mike in their avatar to mark the event. Many have moved on the free the B or something now.

i dont understand why the harddrive is such a big issue. I still use an 80gig PS3, and just delete the game data and keep the save files of the game I finished/won't play for a while. It's not that annoying.