Throwing down the gauntlets, Sony has actively courted Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson by inviting the sole-man who developed one of Xbox Live’s best-selling games to E3 2013 as a special VIP… And in the process gave him an incredible gift. An exclusive golden-colored PS1 system!
How FREAKIN’ COOL is THAT!
Here is his tweet where @notch showed off a pic of the Gold PS1:
“Got a vip invitation to an e3 event from sony in the form of a gold colored psone. Wow. :D”
So. Awesome.
This is only the latest shot fired in the brewing all-out-war between the PS4 and the XboxOne. It is no secret that notch and other Indie developers have been increasingly dissatisfied with how Microsoft has treated them, and treated Indie development as a whole, on the Xbox 360 platform. Sony has taken advantage of this in a big way, and this goes far to prove just how much Sony is attempting to court Indie developers and make them feel like the special stars they are.
Now of course, no one knows if this means that Notch is going to stake the stage at E3 2013 during Sony’s Press Conference and announce something exclusive for the PlayStation 4. Of course, no one would be surprised IN THE LEAST if exactly that happens now would we!
PS4 used games won’t be restricted at all… So says the rumor. The extreme XboxOne Used Games backlash Microsoft is facing over it’s XboxOne system and the fact that Microsoft wants to restructure and restrict how used games for the system are bought and sold has changed Sony’s direction on Used Games. Now Sony has reportedly completely scrapped a similar system that also would have seen used games restricted on the PS4 in a similar manner to Microsoft’s XboxOne.
However following all of the negative heat and ill-will that Microsoft has built-up since the reveal of the XboxOne, Sony has reportedly completely changed course on the Used Games issue and will fully embrace being the anti-Microsoft. A decision that the company had still been mulling over up-until-now.
Take all this with a grain of salt however, as the rumor is via a post by a NeoGAF user, albeit one with a great track record of rightly predicting Sony’s next move. Does he have some insider information? He says he does, and stated the following:
NeoGAF forum post user “famousmortimer“,
“The gist of it is that Sony is listening to the backlash that Microsoft is getting and they are basing decisions off of this. I can say, for sure, that the past week’s PR nightmare for MS has not been lost on Sony and they, in fact, do have a used game ‘solution’ working and have been going back and forth for months on whether to use it. This past week is pushing them strongly into ‘Yeah, let’s not use that’ category. And Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida in particular is very open to feedback.”
This is a very interest development, and could sight the first true “bullet heard around the world” in the next-gen console war. We’ll have to wait only a short while until E3 2013 on June 11-13 to find out whether this rumor regarding the PS4 and used games is true or not.
XboxOne $1 billion, eh? There will be XboxOne games aplenty as Microsoft has announced they are pumping over $1 billion (with a “B”) dollars worth of videogame development investment money into their successor to the Xbox 360.
And contrary to popular belief, many people suspect that these 15 new titles will all be massive AAA games, and not Kinect games, mini-game collections, or XBLA titles. But big hitters meant to sway people to purchase an XboxOne.
This is of course, on top of any third-party exclusive deals that Microsoft has paid for or deals they have developed with other developers and publishers. Something that has already happened with the announcement that XboxOne will get Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC FIRST, before any other system, and with the NFL and FIFA Sports deals announced at the reveal event.
Considering the struggles that the videogame industry has had sales-wise lately, the new consoles including the XboxOne are being banked on to breath some new life into the old bones that the industry is currently facing, when Xbox One Releases and PS4 releases worldwide this holiday 2013!
It’s good news that Microsoft is putting its full faith and money where its mouth is when it comes to the XboxOne. All that’s needed now is to get people to care about it! Of course, at E3 2013 we will see the first real game announcements for the XboxOne. And thus we wait with baited breath!
XboxOne boxart, green-colored, the Forza 5 cover has confirmed the design for the retail boxes of Xbox One games. It’s really cool to see how the boxes will look for the next-generation, and I like the emphasis on green.
I’m big on box art so this is a cool reveal ahead of the actual release of the console.
XboxOne and Skype are in a bed together, making sweet, sweet love. Thanks to the full integration of Skype built into XboxOne from the ground up, every aspect of voice and video chat is not only seamless, but far and away improved over the Xbox 360. XboxOne and Skype sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G.
Both in-game and dashboard voicechat and Party Chat will be powered by Skype, in both audio and video molds (no microphone or headset required, as the mic is build into the Kinect 2 that ships with the system. Surely you can use a headset if you want to however, I assume), and Skype has vastly improved the audio quality, audio processing and microphone configuration settings available, as well as the voice options available to gamers when it comes to voice and video chat.
And all of this Skype goodness is seamlessly integrated into XboxOne and Xbox Live, allowing you to chat at any time, either audio or video chat, as well as do so while using multiple apps.
And in a very big deal, XboxOne Remote Play Sessions via Skype where you can see the screen (and gameplay?) of your friends whom you’re chatting with may be possible as well on the XboxOne just like on the PC. Although that hasn’t been confirmed.
To quote Microsoft on Skype in an interview with Polygon:
“Skype technologies are used in Xbox One which improves voice quality during multiplayer game sessions. Skype can also be used to call any of your Skype contacts for voice or video chat exclusively or while playing a game. Additionally, we have improved the Kinect hardware, from microphone configuration to dedicated audio processing, which contributes to providing a high-quality voice experience whether you are chatting in a game or through Skype.”
All of these develops are great ones. Unless, of course, you don’t play multiplayer games or do voice chat like me! :P
XboxOne and used games. Will I have to pay a fee to play used games on the Xbox One? The answer appears to be no, at least according to some new reports.
Reportedly, at a retailers conference where Microsoft briefed retailers on the new system ahead of its reveal, it was divulged (according to Polygon) that there will be no fee associated with playing used games. As has been speculated.
However it also confirmed that, although the system will not be required to always be connected online, it will periodically check online for authenticity and ownership rights of game discs. Each XboxOne game will include a DRM on-disc encryption code. Once that game has been sold or traded to someone else and that code has been activated on another console, then the periodic online checks will transfer all the installed content from the previous owner to the new owner automatically.
Does this mean you’ll lose all DLC you’ve purchased if you sell a game? It sounds like that may be the case… As always though, take this news with a grain of salt until we learn more from Microsoft themselves.
Microsoft did release this official statement:
“Xbox One is designed to support the trade in and resale of games. Reports about our policies for trade in and resale are inaccurate and incomplete. We will disclose more information in the near future,” said Major Nelson.
Previous reports have stated that Microsoft will be employing the “Azure” Pre-owned Technology system to all retailers who want to do business with the XboxOne. Using this system, games sold are then registered to an XboxOne system that has gone online, and all games sold are tracked by Microsoft if the title has left the retailer. Additionally, you can only trade games into retailers who have accepted Microsoft’s new system. When you trade a game and its registered as in someone else’s ownership, all “data files” will be transferred to that new owner (whatever exactly that entails is unclear). Reports say that the XboxOne will “check-in” with Microsoft’s servers once every 24 hours, thus the outrage at the “always online” requirement. It’s still unclear however what happens if you never take your system online.
Microsoft insists that you can still play games offline and that they will not penalize you for not going online. However they insist that you will miss out on online features and other functionality if you never take your system online. And let’s face it, everyone is online in this day and age. EVERYONE. Amount of people I know who don’t go online to use Facebook or don’t use their cellphones online can be counted on one hand and are almost exclusively old people. So to a degree all of this makes a lot of sense.
Another big part of Microsoft’s Azure system is in regard to developer/publisher royalty. Using this system, the developers and publishers themselves will get a cut of ALL used game sales (whereas in today’s world, the retailer keeps the entire cut of all used game sales. Which is why GameStop pushes used games to such an extent), as long as Microsoft getting it’s own cut. The rest, and a much smaller amount, goes to the retailer. After a game is traded back in to the retailer and everyone else gets their cut, the retailer can then set the price of the used game at whatever price-point they desire.
As you can see, this would dramatically shake up the used games industry if not partially destroy it altogether, especially if GameStop doesn’t play along and/or refuses to sell XboxOne games or decides to drastically cut the amount of space they’re going to offer to the XboxOne in stores. It’s worth noting that GameStop’s stock price plummeted after all this hubbub boiled over.
Adding confusion to all this however is the fact that early reports stated matter-of-factly that Microsoft would require a used game activation fee of $52 (£35) dollars, but that has sense been debunked.
Microsoft for its part has told people to wait until E3 2013 or a later date, at which point it will reveal full details.
To quote,
“Our goal is to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail. We know there is some confusion around used games on Xbox One and wanted to provide a bit of clarification on exactly what we’ve confirmed today. While there have been many potential scenarios discussed, today we have only confirmed that we designed Xbox One to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail. Beyond that, we have not confirmed any specific scenarios.”
What’s interesting about all the hate Microsoft has received in the wake of the XboxOne is the fact that Sony has also dodged clarification on how used games will work on the PlayStation 4.
While they are playing up the fact that their system will not be as intrusive as the XboxOne and will focus on the games, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the PS4 as well. And things are anything but clear.
Just the XboxOne system itself. All by its lonesome!
What do game developers think of the XboxOne? A few of them have made their comments and thoughts known. As they do, I will post them here and update this article.
* Stewart Gilray of “Just Add Water” (Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee HD, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee – New N Tasty, Gravity Rush (PSP), Upcoming Oddworld: Hand of Odd Online RTS)
— “Microsoft is attempting to be the one device in the living room, but at the same time as doing that you have to have a secondary device, like a TiVo, to HDMI into the Xbox One to be able to use the TV side of it, which to me defeats the entire purpose. It’s very confusing. The only real positive for always-on is the concept of instant booting. You come into your room and just say ‘on’, and on you go. But I can do it already on the PS3 and Xbox 360. You just press the button on the controllers. I personally don’t see what an always-on system will do for us, other than background downloading when you’re not around, which will be a massive plus. I wonder if bundling Kinect with it and the fact it’s always-on is going to put a lot of people off. They’re saying, even if the system is turned off or on stand-by, you come into your living room and say, ‘Xbox On’, so Kinect is going to be watching all the time. How many people will that put off? It’s not something that sits well with me, frankly.”
* Adrian Chmielarz formerly of People Can Fly (Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, Duty Calls: The Calm Before the Storm, Gears of War 2, Painkiller series)
— “I don’t want to talk to my TV, I don’t want to wave my hands in front of my TV, and I don’t want to Skype with a friend when I’m engaged in a game. That’s not to say that Kinect 2.0 is useless (I’m curious about that heartbeat thing, for one), but for now I don’t see it as anything too exciting. It’s very hard for me to stay objective here. For example, with all due respect to Mr. Spielberg, a Halo TV series is not the reason for me to buy a $400 (or whatever) box. I got way more excited when I saw Jonathan Blow on the PS4 stage. Not because of his game, but because of the message that Sony was sending this way. But look, I could go on forever about this or that feature and about this or that element of the ecosystem. At the end of the day I think the problem is not necessarily with the hardware or features, but with the unveil strategy itself. It’s fine to start with the non-gaming stuff, then please gamers at E3 2013, but I wish Microsoft was more clear and vocal about it and set the expectations right. Because we all wanted to see the future of gaming, and we got almost none of that, and what we got were weak pre-rendered movies that looked worse than some of the games I have on my PC right now, or a dog and fish AI. I have no reason to prefer any console over the other, hell, I want them both to succeed – more platforms for our games, yay! But, to be honest, I don’t think anyone from Sony lost any sleep.”
If you haven’t been following the retro releases for the Capcom Arcade Cabinet, you’ll be happy to know that Capcom has released a new collection bundle that includes all 17 of the games that have been released for the Capcom Arcade Cabinet so far.
When you purchase the bundle which cost $30 ($29.99/€29.99/£23.99/2000MSP), you’ll get the following:
1. Black Tiger
2. Avengers
3. 1943: The Battle of Midway
4. Ghosts n Goblins
5. Gun.Smoke
6. Section Z
7. Side Arms
8. Legendary Wings
9. Trojan
10. Commando
11. The Speed Rumbler
12. Exed Exes (Savage Bees)
13. 1942
14. SonSon
15. Pirate Ship Higemaru
16. 1943 Kai
17. Vulgus
Cool stuff! I’ve never played virtually any of these classic titles. I definitely gotta get on that eventually.
A huge Xbox 360 E3 2013 announcement is imminent, so says Microsoft in an interview with GameSpot.
To quote,
Question: “So presumably you anticipate there being sort of a lot of support for the Xbox 360 in terms of new XBLA releases and stuff…”
Answer: “I think the Xbox 360 is going to be very vibrant for many years. In fact, we have a huge, I think it’s huge, Xbox 360 announcement for E3 2013 that I keep wanting to talk about, but I can’t. I think it will surprise people. I loved what we did with Minecraft; bring Minecraft to the box; six million units later it’s kind of a beast. I think there’s a lot of life in the Xbox 360 for years to come.”
What ever could this major Xbox 360 E3 2013 announcement be?
Keep your Xbox 360 system around. Microsoft plans to support it another 5 years!
Will Microsoft stop supporting Xbox 360 now that Xbox One releases and comes out this year? No! Microsoft plans full Xbox 360 support for the next FIVE YEARS.
This means that the original plan for the Xbox 360 to live and breath for a full 10 year system cycle will actually take place. That is, assuming that Microsoft’s plans to support the system for another five years actually happens in reality. Of course, no one knows whether that will actually happen or not once the new system launches. Time will tell.
Microsoft says they plan to support the Xbox 360 for the next five years and sell an additional 25 million Xbox 360 systems!
To quote Microsoft from a GameSpot interview,
“Downloaded Xbox Live Arcade games will continue to run on your Xbox 360 for as long as your Xbox 360 runs. The box is not backward compatible and we think for somebody who invests in a large digital library that you want to keep your Xbox 360. Keep that as a vibrant part of the ecosystem. That’s why we’ve made sure that your identity, your friends, are constant between both platforms. You don’t have a separate identity on Xbox One or Xbox 360; it’s the same, you are you. My friend’s network is the same on both boxes, my achievements are the same. So we think that service component is an important component to keep constant across both devices.”
It makes a lot of sense for Microsoft to continue supporting the Xbox 360 even after XboxOne, as the Xbox 360 has a huge install base and is an extremely successful platform, particularly in the United States. The Xbox 360 has routinely been the best-selling system over the last several years (especially since the release of Kinect, which truly reinvigorated the platform in terms of sales) and recently become the best-selling console of the month for the 28th time in a row! Quite an amazing feat! This is in the United States, where the Xbox 360 has been beating the PS3 and Wii in terms of sales for a long time now. Wii sales actually trump both systems in all territories. However in Europe the PS3 is the best-selling platform out of the two non-Nintendo systems. It’s also the best-selling platform in Japan of the two. Even so, the United States is considered the biggest territory and having the Xbox 360 system top sales here domestically over the PS3 is still a huge win for the American company.
However sales of the Xbox 360 have indeed slowed significantly, as they have for all of the soon-to-be old consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DSi, PSP). That of course is to be expected as the next-generation transitions into the current-generation and the console/handheld lineup changes to: XboxOne, PS4, WiiU, 3DS, PSVita.
We’ll learn more about Microsoft’s continued and future support for the Xbox 360 at the big E3 2013 show on June 11-13th.
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