Next Gen - The Verdict

[Meow]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/ ... box-event/ <--Here is the video reveal

[Firefox]

The louvres remind me a lot of the Atari ST range. It's like the system unit from Darth Vader's Mega STe, or something.

[defsdoor]

It looks shit.

And I can't see there being too much cooperation from sky or virgin in the uk to replace their living room presence.

And EAs 4 games are all totally meh.

[zip accident]

The louvres remind me a lot of the Atari ST range. It's like the system unit from Darth Vader's Mega STe, or something.

Yeah, it is the ST's new cousin.

[RiK]

"The all new Kinect is now an essential and integrated part of the platform."

Is it fuck. My 360 sits on my desk, plugged into monitor #2. I have absolutely no interest in 'kin 'eck at all.

Massive fail for me. It's just a glorified fucking TIVO that might play a few games too.

This gen it's going to be PS4 or not at all for me.

[fog]

And I can't see there being too much cooperation from sky or virgin in the uk to replace their living room presence.

That wont happen because the TV stuff isn't quit as integrated as the presentation made out. It's just an HDMI through-port affair so would still need to be connected to a Sky or Virgin cable box with a subscription....and probably XBox Live Gold too!

Plus it's a US only feature at launch.

Xbox One’s live TV fucntionality will only be available in the US at launch, a press release from Microsoft has confirmed.

In a release sent to VG247 this evening confirms that Live TV with Kinect navigation, Live TV with One Guide, Trending, and NFL on Xbox will only be available in North America at launch. The release added that Microsoft anticipates a global roll-out over time.

As shown in the Microsoft reveal stream, and confirmed in the release, “Live TV will require a supported receiver device with HDMI output,” which is sold separately.

http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/21/xbox-on ... te-device/

[pogo]

TV, meh. A week ago received notice that I'll be able to watch 38 Premier League matches for free next season because we have BT broadband. TV companies and content providers are becoming geniuses at packaging and repackaging their content for all consumers on all devices. So you can now watch shows on your phone, your tablet, your games console, your set top box, your PC or even (though not for much longer I fear) direct broadcast over the airwaves. Not only are TV companies selling their wares directly but companies like Blockbuster, Netflix, Hulu and now Youtube have got into the business of delivering content digitally.

So MS also want a small slice of this pie. Probably the only important question is: Does this mean you'll no longer be able to get Youtube and Netflix on the Xbox?

[chub]

Hmm, how much of this new stuff will require XBL Gold? Presumably all the cloud gubbins and TV guff. Maybe it is just a games machine after all, if you don't pay for Live.

[Darkflame]

Looks like "next gen" for me is Leapmotion controls on my pc.

[gilesgoat]

And I can't see there being too much cooperation from sky or virgin in the uk to replace their living room presence.

That wont happen because the TV stuff isn't quit as integrated as the presentation made out. It's just an HDMI through-port affair so would still need to be connected to a Sky or Virgin cable box with a subscription....and probably XBox Live Gold too!

*SNIP*

So it's like I tought in the beginning it had to be ? An integrated video multiplexer that gets an HDMI/etc. signal from
"something" and displays it "genlocking/overlaying" with the Xbox stuff ( lag ? ) ?

But how do they do to get/set the channels/info/etc. ? They do need some way to communicate/integrate with the
"external devices" ? Did they reverse engineered the remote controls and use infrared to talk to the Sky/Virgin/etc. boxes ?

[gilesgoat]

Looks like "next gen" for me is Leapmotion controls on my pc.

YES, ME TOO !

That and Oculus Rift.

I've seen that Leapmotion at a friend's place, I hold it in my hand, you can't believe that thing actually works.

I have not seen it working but my friend was telling me that is "fast and very precise".

[edit] About all that TV stuff "I don't get it much", could be that "in the end" MS will try to sell/resell subscriptions to some
TV services using the Xbox as "display client" (?)

But .. yes and know I don't know .. also "immersive TV experience" sounds a lot like boiling down to "be able to watch and know what your other friends are watching or what most of other people are watching so is 'trendy ?' " ??

Really "what can make a real difference" to me is "if the HW is really up to the job for really smashing can't be done before" games.

From one point I can see "the logic" behind all this, but from another point .. hum .. dunno .. sounds a bit like "an attempt to add something else to something that isn't really", true that maybe some people would like "one single box does all" but again .. I don't know "how much this is really true".

It also gets/gives a bit the impression that "something that does all that and more" begins to feel a bit "intrusive", technology that knows and monitors what I like, who I talk to, what my friends like, what others are doing ..

With a flick of paranoia, but it really starts to feel like the Big Brother, makes you really wonder "how long is the step" before CIA or NSA or the fuck will be able to remotely at will without you to know to switch on your Kinect ( or whatever ) and start peeking into your own life "because they can if they need".

Technically ? Doable, you have a camera and you are connected to the net and a server of someone else, yes you can
switch off the machine but can you really unless you really take out the plug ? Or will you ? Or "your brain" is too much
wired to your technology that Goat will you'll never unplug it ?

Anyway let's forget for the moment that.

Let's wait and see, it's a console so "show me the games".

[arron]

Here's another mysterious piece of media scrotum for you to consider...

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/05/21/x ... -computing

Remember a while back when they had that thing about "always on"? And they claimed that it wasn't a requirement?

Now they're claiming that it will be moving calculations off your local XBox onto the cloud to boost the power of your console. Now I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the network latency of doing this will be far in excess of doing the same work locally on your processor cores and local memory.

Unless..of course, this is another EA style ploy to try and get you to accept that your console will eventually need a continuous network connection for DRM, advertising, online services and perhaps even streaming data from devices (like the Kinect) to the cloud.

No idea how this will pan out, but it does seem to be a heading back to the position they denied categorically a few weeks ago when Adam Orth shot his mouth off and got fired over it.

As I said, could be wrong (it has been known), but it seems odd why this would have been reported like this when technically, it makes no sense at all. And it also uses the same reasoning that EA used over Sim City that server based calculations were mandatory when they weren't.

[CharlieF]

When I watch TV, I just like to just watch TV passively. It's what differentiates it from interactive entertainment.

This looks way too much like hard work, and I can just imagine what my wife would say if I was dicking around surfing while she is trying to watch CSI. It would not be pretty...

[Deckard]

Ubergizmo are saying

Microsoft has confirmed the Xbox One will have a pre-owned game fee for used or borrowed games.

not great

[fog]

But how do they do to get/set the channels/info/etc. ? They do need some way to communicate/integrate with the
"external devices" ? Did they reverse engineered the remote controls and use infrared to talk to the Sky/Virgin/etc. boxes ?

I think you can communicate over HDMI so the XBox could control your cable box that way.

For the listings they will probably grab them over the internet but need the help of the cable providers for that. And there are a hell of a lot of those around Europe which may be why it wont be available outside of the US initially.

I don't know if it's technically possible to access all the features of your cable box though and if the XBox can't control recordings, TV on demand etc then you're still going to have to reach for a good old reliable remote control.

I have cable, but the TV features shown will add nothing of value for me.