The E3 2013 thread. New consoles await

[gigawuts]

Any need to connect at all over a period of time to access content I have in full already is complete bull. Authenticating once if I don't have a hard copy of the media, yeah, sure, I get that. But even if I have the disc? Say I lose my net for a week - I do live in an area prone to some pretty rough weather (as in hurricanes). Power typically comes back long before phone lines, which comes before internet. This can be days, even weeks depending on where you live. What then? I have video games literally for this specific situation, and being able to play all but one console...makes me less likely to play that console even when I do have internet connectivity.

The reality is many people live in areas with unstable internet that can and does go out for more than 24 hours, and with natural disasters on the rise when people are trying to find a form of offline entertainment they shouldn't have to connect to the internet to get permission from microsoft to use play the game they have on the disc in the tray.

It seems like the mentality people are having is "it's okay for me, because it doesn't happen to me" or "it's okay, because it doesn't happen often." "Doesn't happen often" doesn't make it okay, and soon enough something you're not okay with will be what they start grabbing at for more restrictions and limitations.

[Enforcer MKV]

It seems like the mentality people are having is "it's okay for me, because it doesn't happen to me" or "it's okay, because it doesn't happen often."

Hence the name "Xbox 1!" Because the demographic only cares about '1' person! Themselves! HIYOOOOOOO! \o/

...I'm sorry, I'm just being stupid now.

[gigawuts]

Only a fool will call smart business tactics a slippery slope.

If you actually believe that they won't try to tread so close to the line of what you believe they shouldn't do that you can feel their breath over it, you have no idea how the business world works and will probably let them walk over that line so you can redraw it.

edit: For reference, this is especially entertaining given that we're talking about Microsoft here. Microsoft. Famed for buying up competition for paltry sums and using their software as their backbone, driving competition out of business with VERY questionable business ethics, and literally GIVING their software away so users have no alternative but to use their expensive software in the future.

If you don't see what's coming, it means you haven't seen what's happened.

[Outrider]

I don't really follow what gigawuts is getting at, but I think this is the important thing for me when it comes to the Xbox One:

If Microsoft wants to institute this online check-in system, then I want to know what benefit that system provides to me. Currently I don't see any kind of benefit on my end and instead a hypothetical limitation. No, it likely won't ever be an issue for me since I always have my Xbox online, but I also see no reason for me to support that change.

See, I don't mind that Steam is essentially one big piece of DRM software because of all the benefits it provides to me. The Steam software provides value that I appreciate, whether it's easy access to my games, social integration, sales, etc. The Microsoft check-in system adds no value whatsoever and is attempting to restrict what I can do with my content in a realistic way. I don't see why I should be okay with them adding it to the Xbox one.

[gigawuts]

Actual evidence? You say it like this isn't common knowledge.

http://inventors.about.com/od/comput...On-The-Map.htm

http://inventors.about.com/od/mstart.../Windows_2.htm

In my brief video skipping I'm not finding the documentary where they discuss the tactic of giving away the software to businesses so they would be dependent on future windows office software, but it's out there if you look for it.

edit: Since apparently my point hasn't been clear:

The Xbox One is about a company disregarding what the consumer wants, and trying to sink its claws into the consumer so they can't simply be shaken off without them actually realizing. People who are invested into something will prefer it over something different simply due to familiarity and general laziness. This is a fact Microsoft is very well aware of, and attempts to exploit regularly. It's just typical business practices, really.

Which gets me to the point: "Just don't get it" doesn't fly in the real world for the general masses. When you drive your similar competition out of business, which Microsoft is trying its darndest to do, then your consumers will depend on you. You get to set the rules. Fortunately, the PS4 is similar enough to pick up angry Xbox customers.

[Pahsy]

I'm still a bit sad that they didn't showed any information about Ace Attorney 5. After all it's going to be an international release...;_;
Also getting w bit worried since there was no information whatsoever about the Professor Layton VS Ace Attorney game....

[gigawuts]

Well, there seems to be some confusion here.

The Xbox One's setup with games isn't like the Xbox 360. It's like a PC. You can't just send off your PC CD to someone else to let them play it offline while you play it online ei-OH NO WAIT YES YOU CAN RAOUIBHAOUIGBA;UG

[Outrider]

From what I have read you will be able to install your games on to your HDD on Xbox One and you will be able to play without the need for a disc to be in the tray. That is a convenience that a lot of people asked for last gen but were told was not possible. And the reason it was not possible with the 360 was due to the fact that if they did allow you to install it and play without a disc what would be the point of keeping the disc? With this system they are making sure you can get the convenience of playing a game directly off your hard drive but they are also trying to show the their target market that there is no need for a disc anymore. And that checks out pretty well considering the article I posted yesterday about Microsoft's ambitions for moving away from a disc based system into an all digital world as they call it.

Essentially the "check in" is all apart of their plan to shift from disc to digital.

If you're playing a game off of a disc then it shouldn't need to check credentials.
If you've purchased the game online it shouldn't need to check credentials, just like when you play XBLA games on your 360 today.

The sole benefit is that this allows them to let you install the game from a disc and not need the disc in the tray. That is a very small benefit that could be mitigated either through other means.

I understand there are some features that require an online connection, but it's clear that they can be turned off in case a user is in a 24-hour offline period, so I fail to see the purpose of the 24-hour check-in. If the player is offline, just let them play without online features.

This whole mess definitely doesn't seem worth it just so you can install and play a game from disc without needing the disc in the tray.

I'm still a bit sad that they didn't showed any information about Ace Attorney 5. After all it's going to be an international release...;_;
Also getting w bit worried since there was no information whatsoever about the Professor Layton VS Ace Attorney game....

Yeah, it's a shame they didn't share any news on Ace Attorney 5, but at least we know it's coming. It was also announced it's going to be digital-only, in case you hadn't heard from a month or two back.

I think it's already been confirmed that Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney isn't coming to the US but for the life of me I can't remember if that's true or if my brain is just making it up.

[gigawuts]

http://kotaku.com/mirrors-edge-2-is-...ture-513051691

Dice.

Dice. Diiiiiiice.

There were two conditions for me liking ME2: Pretty colors and wall jumping.

You cannot possibly go below my standards here. You really can't. I know what hype does. I know what ME1 was like. I intentionally set my standards so low that you can't go below them.

But you look like you might be trying.

Do not make me eat my words.

[Kent]

I'm genuinely curious as to how many people that are flaming on about the "anti-consumer" policies of the Xbox One's systems actually both read the relevant information to it (rather than receiving it nth-hand from a sensationalist, Fox News-inspired click-driving adfarm, or an inane Reddit circlejerk), and also stopped to rationally think about why they might consider that this is the direction they want to take their business.

Like, really, this would be an interesting statistic to have, from a scientific perspective. Partly because it feels like I'm one of a handful of sane people on the internet for not partaking in the silly levels of hyperbole.

For the most part, the actual reasoning behind the policies makes sense - if the 24-hour check-in were able to be sidestepped by having the disc in, they'd make even more sense... But realistically, you'd have to be goddamn insane to think that the reason behind such a decision is because "they want to take away consumer rights!" or "they want to remove game ownership!" or even "they're literally the devil and are trying to attack me on a personal level!" like the aforementioned shady-at-best sources might have you believe.

I mean, really, for what reason do people think the 24-hour check-in rule was instated?

It basically boils down to this:

1. We want to move toward a digital-distribution-centric future, for all of the real advantages and conveniences it confers.
2. We can't really just ditch the retail market (yet), considering how important actually is to all sorts of things (marketing, ease-of-access, gift-shoppers, etc.).
3. We want to keep used games, but additional sales should have a portion of the proceeds go to the people who made the game - rather than solely to the store that sells it.
4. We want to extend all of the same used game policies that can apply, to digital purchases as well.

Without compromising any of these, I'd be interested in hearing some brainstorming and deliberation on how to achieve this in a realistic fashion - keeping in mind that things staying how they are in the current generation addresses none of these.