Next Gen - The Verdict

[Meatpuppet]

Wow. That was the most uninspiring load of corporate drivel I've seen for any recent console launch. Is it just me, or did everyone presenting just seem *bored*. Bored with trotting out the same old, same old - Very sad if this is to be last hurrah of the games console as we've known it.

I don't know really .. certain "in essence" a console should be "something to play video games", so "number one" point should be about games, number two all the rest (?)

Mah .. I really don't know, I am still quite happy of what I already have, so many games I surely don't have all that time to play as well.

Consoles have just been transformed into a one-size-fits-all entertainment distribution platform - And to me, any talk of 'games' or the gaming community, just come across as disingenuous. The Xbox One is a prime example of Design by committee. Just awful. And it will sell loaoooads

[gilesgoat]

Michael Moran in the Guardian has a quite measure appraisal of the Xbox One:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... arm-summer

Echoes my sentiments.

I don't give much about that, but THIS OTHER LINK I found there is AWESOME

[gilesgoat]

It potentially gets worse. Ugh.

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/13970 ... r-the-mpaa

As a matter of fact, it's very old law don't know how much it's been enforced but, in Italy, if you let's say plan to have more than 20 people in a room even if that is
your home, THEORETICALLY you should inform and ask permission to police first.

I think there's also another law that says that "any assembly of > 30 people is considered to be a public assembly so law orders has to informed of and why is there".

The thing about 20 people in the room comes from a "strange twist" in the safety & can't remember what law that says that "in that case, the room should have emergency exists and/or should be easily to be evacuated in case of fire or hazard".

So if you invite 21 people at your home without informing the law authorities you are breaking the law.

So I guess at the very least you cannot show your TV program to 21 people without consent.

Actually I can't remember how is the "limit"/when it becomes to be considered "public performance", you cannot certainly invite 100 people at your house to watch your TV and say "they are all my friends", I don't think it's allowed.

Mind you in pubs and public places in Italy where there's a TV set, first the TV tax is different than the home one ( more expensive ) second it's also computed on the size of the TV, the bigger TV the more you pay.

Moral : I think that Kinect use is extremely bad and that I don't want big brother in my living room.

It'll get soon your Xbox will start talking you and will go ".. Dave .. I am noticing your heartbeat is faster than normal, may I suggest you should take a relaxant. Dave, I have to remind your tax return is due this month, I took the liberty to already pay it using your CC data I have. Dave, you have been watching too many TV programs recently, I took the liberty to deactivate a number of TV channels .. "

.. etc. ..

[zip accident]

Michael Moran in the Guardian has a quite measure appraisal of the Xbox One:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... arm-summer

Echoes my sentiments.

And it isn't just games consoles. Like any true Apple-brand victim I upgraded my main computer every couple of years as more potent Macs were released. But I bought the MacPro on which I'm typing this in 2008. Apple has released a few nice computers since but there haven't been any ground-breaking developments in desktop computing in at least five years.

That's his mid life crisis is talking. It was 486 PCs vs the Atari ST for me. Computers (and/or consoles) never get radically more powerful per generation, you have to wait a couple of generations if you want a big buzz.

[Dave]

Physically the console looks a bit ugly. Under a TV most people won't care. It might be cumbersome to put on a computer desk attached to a monitor, unless it can stand verticle like the 360. That might not even be possible with Kinect though. It seems living room centric. The controller looks to be improved.

As other's have said, it'll come down to the games, and of course price. Come E3 most will have forgotten about this announcement as by then we'll see more relevant stuff.

I think those deciding between One and PS4, besides those brand loyal, probably won't make up their minds until the month or two before they come out. By then we'll know their costs, games, etc... Another big factor will be your friends; if they all get PS4's and you want to play with them, you'll want a PS4 too.

[fog]

Just seen this courtesy of NeoGAF...

June 10, 10am Pacific time - Apple WWDC Keynote
June 10, 10am Pacific time - Microsoft e3 Confrence

Apart from Apple stealing most of the mainstream headlines, it would be slightly amusing if they announced a new iTV that did all the TV bits of the XBone at a fraction of the cost and better.

[chub]

It potentially gets worse. Ugh.

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/13970 ... r-the-mpaa

Can't you just put something in front of it, or point it at a wall, or something? I don't know much about Kinect, but if it can't see you, what can it do?

[pogo]

What MS could do is make the TV interface gesture controlled, so require the Kinect. The problem with that though is the eternal problem with the Kinect: it's not suitable for everyone as (apart from the new privacy concerns) not everyone has the space, appropriate lighting, somewhere physically to mount it or long enough cables. This wasn't a problem while it was an optional extra. But if it's bundled so it's an extra cost for everyone then it's a waste. If it's required for certain apps/interface, or even mandated so all games have to support it, then it will be a disaster and put many people off.

It will be much like MS adding touch to Windows 8; an interesting new feature for some but a very bad idea if it can't be easily turned off/ignored. Given how MS fucked that one up, and how Kinect's gesture interface is superficially like a touch interface, I can easily imagine MS repeating the same mistake. Except consumers have a much easier choice than with Windows; Sony's PS4 will play almost all the same games. It could harm the platform significantly if Kinect isn't optional.

[fog]

Kinect isn't optional. Microsoft have confirmed it must be plugged in for the XBone to function. If they've been particularly devious then Kinect recognition could well be the only way to login to your profile.

It potentially gets worse. Ugh.

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/13970 ... r-the-mpaa

Can't you just put something in front of it, or point it at a wall, or something? I don't know much about Kinect, but if it can't see you, what can it do?

The patent says the video will stop playing if it can't see you looking at the screen. Microsoft have put a positive spin on that "feature" saying it means you don't need to worry about pausing the movie if you leave the room, but it obviously has a slightly different use here by preventing you doing exactly what you suggest.

[Darkflame]

That feature is on a few mobile phones these days isn't it? Its not such a big deal.

Or do people go around tapping over the (now pretty standard) front facing camera on their phones

[RiK]

Physically the console looks a bit ugly. Under a TV most people won't care. It might be cumbersome to put on a computer desk attached to a monitor, unless it can stand verticle like the 360.

Which is exactly where my 360 is now, in the corner of my desk, out of sight behind my main monitor and plugged into the second input on my secondary.

The problem with that though is the eternal problem with the Kinect: it's not suitable for everyone as (apart from the new privacy concerns) not everyone has the space, appropriate lighting, somewhere physically to mount it or long enough cables.

Exactly. I only play sat at my desk. Not only do I have precisely zero interest in Kinect, there's certainly no room in here, not anywhere sensible where I'd put the sensor.

[RiK]

Another thought about the new Kinect sensor too...

Most new tv's are aiming more for the thin bezel look:



So why the fuck would I want to stick a bloody great monstrosity like this on top of it?

[axel000]

The specs of the new kinect do sound like they addressed alot of the space and visibility issues though, it can be used from as close as 3 feet (I think it was wired or polygon that stated that they saw a 6ft journalist fully captured by it at 3 feet away), and it can also now fully function in a completely dark room.

I would never buy it though, if a hacker doesn't get video or audio from your house you can count on it being recorded by some govt agency, especially here in the US. I don't want to be watched like a lab rat, ta very much.

[defsdoor]

Can it fully function while your 2 year old keeps getting in the way though ? That's the one thing that made kinect useless here - as soon as anything/one appeared in frame it lost who it was supposed to be tracking.

[Ollie]

Can it fully function while your 2 year old keeps getting in the way though ? That's the one thing that made kinect useless here - as soon as anything/one appeared in frame it lost who it was supposed to be tracking.

As long as you buy extra licenses for your 2 year old for all your media and games, it'll probably be fine...