Hi all, I was just wondering what you thought of these two next-gen consoles. Interestingly I have bought the PS1 and 2, then switched to the 360, so I'm not a 'fanboy' of either company - I just like to play my games in the best way possible and that's about it. However, now that the Xbox One has been announced and seen, I am definitely switching to PS4 (I did consider PC gaming, but that's another story). Where do I begin regarding Microsoft's terrible mistakes? For starters it must always be connected to the Internet. I have heard that Internet is not entirely essential, but come on, you can clearly see that Internet is a big thing for them and the Xbox One was especially built for it. For people like me, who have slow Internet/no Internet, this is a big no-no. Secondly, what's with the fee for playing preowned games? I understand that the publishers and companies don't receive any money when people buy second-hand games, but it is this market that keeps the street stores open. No one can borrow a game from a friend any more without paying an extra fee; no one can be a cheap copy off Ebay. It's truly terrible, in my opinion. Lastly, it will spy on us. I don't mean this in a "oh no the Pentagon are watching us" kind of way, although I have heard that if needed the government can use Xbox One for information. No, what I mean is storing what we watch, what we play. For example, if kinect spots someone who has not bought a copy of a game, it tells you you cannot play. Even when you turn the Xbox off, it will not be completely switched off; it will instead be in a low power state that allows it to continue watching whatever's going on in the room. This isn't huge problem, but there's something about it that I do not like. PS4 was built for gaming, and Xbox One is not primarily for gaming (this has actually been confirmed by Microsoft themselves). For a gaming console, isn't gaming the main thing? Remember the old days when you could just play games and there was no such thing as connecting to the Internet in case the phone rang? I know this looks like a rant post, but it really bothers me. So what do you guys think, all of you gamers out there? Are you buying the PS4 or Xbox, or is PC more your thing? Let me know your opinions, because I would like to consider them for myself. Thanks.
I moved into my new townhouse a month ago, and decided not to get cable television. I got high-speed internet and I currently use my PS3 for online gaming, Netflix for movies and Hulu and PSN for TV shows. My PS3 is now my entertainment hub, and I love it. I can't wait for the PS4. Microsoft constantly 'monitoring' and 'policing' your activities is outrageous and I won't give them a dime. Sony has it right.
Oh boy where do i start? Oh, first off, The Kinect can be COMPLETELY turned off, confirmed by Microsoft itself. Secondly, the used game policy is a somewhat asinine policy i agree, but it was implemented to prevent piracy. The always online was to innovate the industry, something Sony has not done for a VERY long time. The 24 hour check is to boost the already high-tech security the 360 is capable of and the backwards compatibility issue is simply the different processing unit both consoles have due to a 8 year gap of hardware. The used game policy could quite possibly lower the X One titles to $40 on release day, for that being said, Microsoft could demolish Sony's sales because of the loss of three major exclusives (Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy) Metal Gear Solid has sold over 10 million copies while Kingdom Hearts has sold 10 million for the first two installments put together. That alone is a huge revenue loss for Sony to the already behind status quo they have fulfilled. Personally, i'm getting the Xbox One and the Wii U, people can call me a blind fanboy or a NSA supporter if that suits them but i'm going to do what i want if i feel that it's a decent decision. You people assuming that Microsoft will give information to the government is a bit over the top. I know you people will tell me otherwise and try to "warn" me but i'm still getting it. But let's also not forget Sony is no better than Microsoft in the greed category, Sony just three years ago had attempted a second used games patent (just like Xbox One) and it failed due to all the media backlash because of IGN finding out. Oh boy i couldn't possibly explain the embarrassment the company had after that. If there is one industry i know a lot about, it's the game industry. These manufacturers and businessmen could honestly care less about gamers, as long as they are making a dime there is no issues. Plain and simple. With all the horrible jokes and insults i see trading back and forth, it's a bloody mess. Nintendo had a dammed good reason to step out of E3 and this was just it. They knew this would happen. Sony and Microsoft are the US and Russia of the world, both fighting for superiority. Hence Jack Trenton's little "look what i did for you" statements with those greedy eyes widening and his hands rubbing together. What a bastard i tell you. Even if companies are only there for the profit, you are supposed to uphold a code of honor, meaning you should respect the competition. Sony didn't do that. They insulted Microsoft blatantly and everybody knows it. And no, i'm not trying to "defend" Microsoft in any way, but simply speaking out against childish behavior of poorly-chosen representatives of billion dollar corporations. If you're wanting to sell well and make a decent profit, show some class. Jesus.
[MENTION=30638]Fullmetal Xeno[/MENTION] let me give you some reasons as to why you should reconsider. First and foremost, what Microsoft is doing is not normal, not by a long shot. Since when is it normal to have to pay fees in order to share a game? Since when is it normal to bring a CCTV into your living room? Since when is it normal to bloat a device with not one but three operating systems? I don't like to brag but I am studying Informatics, I daresay I know what I am talking about. I am asking you these questions because it seems to become normal to not care at all about your own privacy. With what knowledge I have in informatics, I can guarantee you that the Xbox one is an atrocisty when it comes to privacy. You really should care, already the habit of connecting every device to the internet is costing us dearly. We may complain about NSA Prism but we are making it really, really easy for them. The rule of thumb is quite simple, everything that goes onto the internet should be considered public information. The only real protection that works is what most banks use, and even that can be targeted with a few clever attacks. Why am I saying all this? To make a case for privacy. By using e-mail, by searching through google you have already surrendered vast amounts of privacy. If I were you I wouldn't want to make it easier for corporations to know what I do, when I do it, what I eat and where I eat it. By getting an Xbox one you are making it easier. Everything can be hacked, the Xbox one is no exception, to believe that Microsoft will take care of your data is naive to say the least. Even if they want to, there is always someone out there smarter than them, sony might suffer the same thing when you go online but at least you have a choice there. Brings me to another point, by contemplating to purchase an Xbox you are surrendering several choices. You are surrendering, limiting what friends you can share your games with. Xbox one doesn't even have a power button, so you can never turn it off unless you pull the plug. Look me straight in the eye and tell me that ain't creepy. Let me get one thing straight, I am not one for conspiracy theories, I am fairly trusting of Government(s), what I am not trusting of are companies. You pointed out how greedy some corporations are, yet you are giving them free play. They can gather all sorts of new stats about you, they can demand money at every turn, they can screw you over if your internet goes down. Let's say none of this convinces you, let me tell you something else. Regardless of what console you like or dislike you have to acknowledge that what Microsoft is doing isn't normal. Historically no console ever required an 24-hour check in, no console demanded fees for sharing games, no console stripped their power button, and above all, consoles used to be made to play games on. With the xbox your discs become utterly useless, and I haven't even talked about server support. I can tell you right now that very few games that come out with the Xbox one will work fully 10 years from now (same goes for sony btw). This machine costs more yet does less because you are still going to need all kinds of devices to make the Xbox the "centre" of your living room to begin with. If you want to buy and Xbox one, that is fine, to me it defies all logic. Not because I am a fanboy, I haven't even touched on performance, nor do I care. By purchasing this device you numb yourself even further down in terms of privacy, you complain about the greed of the companies yet this device demands you throw money at those same exact companies. I never owned a console, ever. I feel I am entering this objectively. Buying an Xbox one is like saying yes to a postal service that reads your mail first and costs more. You are free to do it, but to me, it really does defy all logic. If you'd asked me a month ago, I would've agreed to a great extend. But with that powerpoint leaked we know for a fact that the NSA can get into the Micrsoft Servers, wether MS gives permission or not. The point you are making is demonstrably false.
I could buy the more expensive system with restrictive DRM, less powerful hardware, and a mandatory peripheral I have absolutely no interest in. Or, I could buy a PS4 instead. Not a very hard decision.
The used game restriction is the most greedy thing I have ever heard. You play a game, and then you complete it, and it gets boring and you sell it or give it to a friend, the game is already paid for. But someone somewhere at MS thought, 'Hey, we could force them to register all new games, force them to connect to the internet and then block that game if someone else tries to play it.' Rediculous.
I usually end up buying every game console, but my excitement for the One isn't there. The system has way too many drawbacks. Thankfully, pressure can change some of them.
I've been an Xbox user since the original one, and that’s not down to being a fan-boy over the console, but more down to the fact I've liked the games on that system more. This time around though I'm a little bit divided over what my choice will be. I'm not a big fan of the forced inclusion of Kinect, as I found that to be little more than a gimmick for a lot of games. Certainly the voice commands would often fail to be recognised, or it would be annoying to use in say first-person shooters where you are commanding a squad mate to shoot something and trying to hold the sight on a target while you speak was often hard or impossible, and was just easier and quicker to press a button on the pad that did the same thing. I'm also a little bit concerned over having an always connected to the internet system and an active camera pointing into your living room, as while it’s not likely to be an issue, it’s also not impossible that this technology could be massively abused. Look at recent invasions of privacy cases with mobile phones for one. Sure most aren't the same as this, but in a world that is increasingly like a big brother state I don't like the forced option, even if they say you can turn it off, I'm not convinced. The games issue is also a problem where you are being told how you can play it, and how you can sell it etc. – and for me that is a problem. It is like a supermarket telling me how I can use the bag of apples I bought. Can you imagine being told who can eat them, or banning you from selling one to someone else. If you buy a product it's yours and we should be free to sell it second hand with no strings attached. I have been tempted to boycott Xbox One for these reasons, and suspect that many people will do just that, and if the Xbox launch was a failure Microsoft shouldn't be shocked, but I doubt it will be. People just don't ever stand up for things that often these days and we let the companies’ shaft us repeatedly. As a final word I do t think the Xbox One has potential to be the better console if they really do use the cloud well, but the strings attached features bother me a lot unfortunately, and so my choice is a hard one. More so with the price in UK being a third more than the US version, and the Xbox is significantly higher priced than the PS4.
No it's not like apples. When you buy apples, you are just buying an object. When you buy software, you are buying an end user license to use it in a particular way. You know, that block of text you don't read... It's right before the part of any install where you press a button agreeing with the license. This has always been the case. Add to this the specific web service called Xbox live, and you've got a perfectly moral, legal move on Microsoft's part. I also find it funny to accuse a company for being greedy when they set their prices. You're only mad because you have to pay more -- i.e greed. I don't think companies are particularly nefarious given the consensual nature of most business deals. They charge for item what people will pay -- it's not a conspiracy to enslave humanity to corporate greed.
While I expect the PS4 to outperform the One early on, I don't think the One will be an outright failure- MS has grown the Xbox brand very well to this point, and while they don't really appeal to me, I expect that their launch exclusives will be successful. I haven't bought a Sony console in almost ten years, but so far unless they're outright lying the PS4 looks like it's going to serve the role I want from a traditional console. I'm probably going to wait to see if the PS4 lives up to what Sony is promising, if it doesn't, I'll stick with PC gaming next generation. Unless MS offers something of value to offset the restrictions, for me the One just doesn't make sense. They seem like they want to emphasize digital sales over physical discs, which is fine, but if I'm going to do my gaming that way I'll just use Steam.
You know who first pitched the idea of selling software to computer pioneers? Bill Gates. I am not saying its unreasonable to pay for software, not at all. But to say that this has always been the case is flat out false. Moreover, hey, I buy sofrware, but what happens if I lend it to someone? Nothing, both old and new pieces of computer software allow me to lend it to friends without any extra cost. And as for Xbox live, what is your point there? That it is so awesome we should simply disregard the many, inescapeable issues the Xbox one has? Are you really so eager to give them your personal information? Besides, what greed is there in selecting an equally capable, if not more capable, system for $100 less? If you call that greed then going to a three star restaurant instead of a five star one is greed too. Don't get me wrong, I, like most other people, am fine with paying, but I am not fine with paying again. When I buy something I should own it 100% percent. No one else should have a claim to that product but me. This is the case with many products, particularly with software. For MS to strip you from that right is borderline insulting.
. Software given away free in early days simply because of the limited popularity of computers in general. There wasn't a market for software engineering companies before the rise of Bill Gates and Microsoft. Further, I did not say that software had always been sold; I said that software was almost always connected to an end-user license, and was thus not like a apple. The main reason lending now has a fee attached is the upgrade in functionality connected to installing games on your Xbox HDD. So, if they didn't do anything, you could pass your disk around and hundreds of people could play using a single disk (since you don't need the disk to play). This issue came up with computer gaming awhile ago, and companies responding by limiting the number of installs you could do with one disk. Microsoft is doing nothing different here. And obviously, I think its perfectly reasonable to buy the PS4 instead -- for any number of reasons. But I don't think its an issue of morality or corporate exploitation. Also as I said before, you are not buying the software, you are buying a license to use the software in a specific way delineated in detail in the end-user license agreement. MS is stripping you of nothing.
This. Then again, I have a gaming PC and do all my gaming on that, so I probably won't be getting either anytime soon. Once the price drops for the PS4, I'll probably get that. As far as the XboxOne goes? Never.
Your last point does not hold true for most of the software I buy. Granted, I am not owning the source code, but I do own the compiled code. And they are stripping you of something, they are stripping you of ownership. The discs you now get are basically uploaded onto the hdd, then the game is linked to your account at which point the disc becomes virtually useless, that wasn't the case with xbox360 games, and that is what they are stripping you of. I respect Bill Gates due to the donations he made, I respect MS for Windows 7 and some of the office products, but I don't respect them for completely ignoring gamers. All they had to do was google and they'd known what gamers wanted, but yea, they used bing so I guess thats why they didn't figure out the obvious. I mean, seriously, a 10 year old could google for half an hour and come up with something that lies closer to what people want. No one asked for an all in one system, no one asked for three operating systems, no one asked for television and sports, no one asked for internet explorer & bing. What people wanted was a game console, to play games on, if they can hardly get that right (they wast 3gb out of 8gb on their fancy operating systems), then why should I trust them in getting their privacy protection right?
I think it's too early to make a decision on one or other console at the moment. There is plenty of time yet to their respective releases. In that time the details of what each console will be capable of and what restrictions will be in place, plus what changes each company might make to their offerings, will slowly be unpicked by the various media. Only when it's much closer to those release dates will the truths be known. What I will say now though is that Sony are a big corporation interested in getting your money, and they can be as cunning as Microsoft in that respect.
For me it's going to have to be the PS4. As someone who skipped the last home console generation entirely because of the over-abundance of shooters (which I can't stand), the fact that Sony are doing more to get indie developers on board is what seals the deal for me.
I'm not a heavy gamer. I'll have whatever console will play the games I enjoy. I'm not a 'console' fangirl at all. I like what games I like and I don't really care what platform I'm playing them on. Because I'm a Halo fangirl, chances are I'll end up with the xbox One. I don't really care about being spied on by the US government. I have nothing to hide and I'm not an American anyway. As for being spied on by a megacorporation, meh, that's already happening every day we use the Internet, and has for years. I'm not a big fan of the used game policy but I don't buy a lot of used games anyway so it doesn't really affect me. I highly doubt Microsoft has had the time to pair the launch of the One with another new Halo game, given that H4 was only released last year, so chances are I won't be buying it right away. If it affects sales, Microsoft will change things. Bill Gates isn't an idiot.
I just read an Amazon games poll asking which console you will buy. The numbers are phenomenal: 36019 want to buy the PS4 whilst a MEASLY 1989 want to buy the One. Crazy numbers, if you ask me. Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/AmazonVideoGames?v=app_153839431317646
I agree with everything Macaberz said. The privacy thing annoyed me (I've been suspicious since I realised my Kinect was taking pictures of me playing Kinect golf ), and the no sharing games was the final nail in the coffin for Xbox One in my eyes. Even if they change the policy now, I don't think I will change my mind. It has just said too much about them as a corporation, how they see their customers, and the direction they want to go in.
Wrong again. You own none of the code. Read 99% of EULA's, and you'll find I'm right. All you own is the right to use the code in a certain way. Connect it to books. Do you own the words on the page as they appear? If you did, you could do what ever you want with them (copy and sell). But you don't; all you own is the right to read those words. Before digital publishing, there was no way to stop the sale of used books and lending -- now it's happening on kindle. I for one, rarely play that much video games on my 360. It's quite useful for entertainment, and Microsoft's move to focus on entertainment will likely widen their market. Also, there's no reason to say that a multi-purpose platform will be worse at running games. Look at PC's (where I do most of my gaming). In fact, the Azure computing feature will probably make many games smoother.
PS4 Come on think about it. Its basically a less powerful PC. Just go buy a PC if you want an Xbox One. Not to mention it has for to many rules and ridiculous policies that it isn't even worth buying. Also or just buy a PS4/
Just two months ago, I would have said I was going to get the new MS console along with the PS4 and didn't exactly plan on getting a Wii-U any time until a few years down the line if not more just because of how much I dislike Nintendo. However, I will absolutely not buy a brand new non-modified Xboner now. I already have my own desktop, I don't need a glorified low-end piece of junk that has no advantage to it whatsoever, especially on principle when there's so much DRM-acceptance already. Will I buy a PS4? Sure, but it's not likely that I'll buy one at release unless there's an exclusive I want on its launch lineup (just like how I proudly bought my PS3 at release). Though at the end of the day, I'm still a proud member of the master race (Desktop Gamers).
