I don't want to get it because I don't like that kinect will have to be always connected and always on.

I'll be getting the PS4 this fall.

and I think they intend to get their whole library there... and I know they intend a Valve/Steam box... that runs linux.

So.

If Microsoft flubs this, and they may well do so, Valve might end up on top, bringing linux with them.

Huge potential for disruption with the next generation's offerings. I can't wait to see how it plays out...

http://www.shacknews.com/article/79311/editorial-with-xbox-one-you-are-the-controller-and-the

From the article:

Yet, even Microsoft's so-called "clarifications" do little to ease concern that the next Xbox will be plagued by draconian anti-consumer practices. Major Nelson updated his blog saying "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."

Okay, that's fine. But here's the kicker: "Should you choose to play your game at your friend's house, there is no fee to play that game while you are signed in to your profile." By mentioning the f-word there, we can only assume that there will be fees to play games in any other scenario.

A console that blocks used games is rather unprecedented. While rumors surrounded PS4, Sony has gone on record saying that PS4 will play used games, noting that the "general expectation by consumers" is that when they "purchase physical form, they want to use it everywhere."

And that's true. There are many expectations we have of console games. Being able to buy, play, sell, trade, and share used retail games is one of those expectations. We expect that when we bring a game home, that we'll be able to play it with our friends and family--is that something we're no longer allowed to take for granted on Xbox One?

**************************More at link above

It also makes mention in the article that not only does it come with Kinect but that Kinect will be required for operation... Yeah, no thanks.

and only care about Mountain Dew and sports.

No thanks. I'm a gamer and I love gaming. I have a Roku that enables me to watch tv. I just want to game.

I had a whole insanity go down when I tried to fix Skyrim without an internet connection on my PS3 (I didn't have access to high speed internet until months later).

The entire time I dealt with Sony, I kept thinking, "They don't care they're not getting everyone they can get; they only care about their image." I was a rural customer, not a city customer, not a college-based customer, not a rich customer. But they won't be up-front with this, they advertise like anyone can use their product. Even their disclaimers are misleading.

I don't know whether to be shocked or outraged that xBox is taking it a step further. It's like Gates is walking around his home asking himself, "What could I get the xBox to do for me?" and never crossing his mind is the idea that not everyone lives in his type of home, or even his type of neighborhood.

I won't be buying an xBox. I'll more than likely stay away from PS4, since I can't use my PS3 discs on it. Knowing them, they'll probably force a user to pay for a digital copy of a game they already got, unless there's a way the PS4 can confirm a hard copy is actually owned.

Damn save file bloat... It got unplayable about halfway through.

and they seem the same to me.

after you visit several locations?

Doesn't matter, Legendary's coming out Tuesday and to celebrate yesterday's Steam Daily Deal was Morrowind and today's is Oblivion. I imagine tomorrow will be vanilla Skyrim.

I have had the game freeze on both systems.

If the game is set up to save automatically at some points, such as when fast traveling or every X number of minutes, then there is sometimes a small "stall," or whatever, during the auto save. Some of my friends turn off all of the auto saves to prevent this and speed up loading times, but I like the auto saves more than I dislike the "stalls" or slightly longer loading times.

and she said she thinks the Xbox 360 version is smoother than the PS3 version.

that Skyrim was made for xBox, which is the real reason it does better. I don't know if that is actually true or not, but considering the business practices of both Microsoft and the publisher, it isn't hard to believe.

Not that I'm saying they fixed the problem, but I did notice a difference once I got access to those updates. The first thing I did when I updated with the patches was try out my very first game, which had a problem with a dragon's body not disappearing after I murdered the crap out of it (quite awesomely, I might add), but also not being able to burn the stupid beehives during the Thieves Guild questline. Both of those problems were solved upon loading.

But, I do see a lot of lagging problems still, but not like before. I turn off auto-save, so that doesn't freeze me at all, except when it auto-saves for whatever stupid reason it does (like arriving at Solstheim). I also keep a lot of saves off my system. I don't know if that actually helps, but I do it anyway and I at least imagine it helps.

I've also noticed acquiring a lot of crap to sit around, while fun, hurts gameplay. I read on a wiki that hoarding a lot of crap in a chest creates a problem. So I don't hold on to stuff like I once did (like the silver swords, so I can sell them at full price later on). But it does make me wonder if Hearthfire becomes a problem because of this.

Traded in PS3 Skyrim, PS3 Oblivion (had it for PC) and a few other games I either have duplicates of or didn't like for PC Skyrim.

How is Skyrim on PC?

Don't have the video card to really crank the graphics up, but I still love it. I was going to buy the download, but they only had LE by then. Guy at the store was real nice, though, and called around looking for a hard copy of vanilla at the other GameStops in town. Found one at the GS in the mall.

I got a new laptop (not a gaming type, but with a good enough card) and bought the Legendary version. And I freaking adore it. Using console commands, I was able to go with Hadvar and give myself heavy armor (and the full-face Imperial helmet that I love). But it wasn't until I was walking around the outskirts of Dawnstar that I really saw the difference. I exclaimed loudly, "THEY LOOK LIKE SNOWFLAKES!" I always hated those white dots on PS3.

And I don't care anything about using my gaming console for watching TV. And fuck Kinect, too. I don't care about flopping around to control my character in the game.

After owning the first two Xboxes, I'll go with the PS4 and/or PC for this next gen.

Alright, if you’re a consumer and you’re considering picking up the new Xbox One console, then please, take a moment to listen to me. Before we begin, no, I am not a fanboy or a hater. I have no console Bias. I have a PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and a Gaming PC. Each has their pros and cons but now onto business.

DO NOT BUY AN XBOX ONE. Why? See the reasons below:

Xbox Requires an internet connection. Here’s how it works: Every 24 hours your Xbox will try to connect to Microsoft’s servers for verification. If it is unable to connect, sucks to be you. You’re blocked from playing even single player games until it can connect.

Source: http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-does-require-internet-connection-cant-play-o-509164109

Do you like renting games, lending them to a friend, or even borrowing them from a friend? No longer possible. Every Xbox One game you get must be registered to your Xbox live account to be played. After that point it will only work for you. No one else can use it unless they pay a fee. Essentially it works like this. You pick up a used Xbox One game from somewhere or someone, pop it into your console. The system verifies it’s been registered to your account. Uh-oh, it isn’t! In order to play it, you have to pay Microsoft a fee, which is currently slated to be full retail price. Doesn’t matter how scratched up it is or how cheap you got it at gamestop or from a friend. You aren’t just buying the physical copies anymore. You’re paying Microsoft for a LICENSE to be allowed to play that game.

It is worth mentioning Microsoft is exploring ways for you to trade in and resell your used games. This is rumored to mean that you can sell your digital license to play the game (registration) back to microsoft, likely for microsoft points. You can then trade in the game at gamespot for some cash if you like. Either way, as it currently stands, the new owner would still have to pay a fee on top of the price of actually buying the physical copy.

Source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-fee-for-buying-used-games-full-retail-price/

Is it worth mentioning that Microsoft if shafting Indie Developers as well? Where as on Playstation Network or (whatever the Wii has) Indie Developers can self publish their content easily. Playstation even encourages this. Microsoft however forces these Indie Devs to enter publishing deals with them to be allowed to market their content. You don’t go through them, you don’t get to sell what you developed.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/22/indie-devs-cant-self-publish-on-xbox-one

I’m not quite done yet! Now, I’m sure you heard a lot about “TV TV TV TV SPORTS TV TV SPORTS SPORTS TV.” Yes, the Xbox is slated to be able to stream live tv, live sports, etc. So let me ask you this. You obviously already have something like cable or DirecTV. Do you really want to shell out hundreds of dollars more and pay a monthly subscription fee to have another television provider? Yes, I said hundreds of dollars, and I don’t mean the cost of the console. To view live TV from the Xbox you are required to purchase ANOTHER separate device for it to work. Why would you even consider shelling out more money for something you already have anyway? Even if you didn’t, DirecTV is cheaper. Or you could even subscribe you Hulu.com and watch live tv on your computer. FOR MUCH CHEAPER. You essentially have to buy another cable box if you don’t have one. And if you do… what do you need the Xbox One for?

Source: http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-live-tv-available-in-us-only-at-launch-requires-separate-device/

So far we’ve discovered that the Xbox One is not really a gaming console, at least… not a consumer friendly gaming console. It’s being marketed as an all-in-one home entertainment system. Something to replace all of the other devices in your house. But there are drawbacks even to that. Put on your tin foil hats for this part folks. Take from it what you will, all I’ll say is… possibilities…

The Xbox One’s features will not function unless the Kinect is plugged in and active. This is not an optional piece anymore.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/21/xbox-one-will-not-function-without-kinect-attached

So imagine your Kinect piece breaks? Tough luck, no more Xbox for you. But you know what’s worse?

Pay attention, because this is important. The Kinect is always watching. Always listening. Even when the system is off.

Yes. One of the ways to turn the system on is to audibly say: “Xbox On” while the system is off. The Kinect, which is always on, hears you and turns it on. Now this might seem like a cool feature, but did you know Microsoft patented a feature that would allow the Kinect’s camera (It’s no longer just a sensor, but a camera) to spy on you for the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America?) While they may not actually do this, it is actually possible for them to do this now. It has a camera, and a microphone. The Kinect is always on. It is ALWAYS listening, ALWAYS watching.

An idea has been tossed around that by using this feature, it will allows game developers and movie produces to set a limited amount of how many people can be allowed to view the entertainment. So as a hypothetical example, you and three friends are watching a movie, which is the maximum allowed. A fourth friend enters the room and the Kinect’s sensor registers the fourth individual. The movie stops and you a prompted to pay a fee so that the extra individual may also view the film. Again, that is NOT currently the case, but these are the ideas currently being tossed around with the system’s current capabilities.

Source for listening: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4352596/the-xbox-one-is-always-listening

Source of spying: http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/139706-microsofts-new-kinect-patent-goes-big-brother-will-spy-on-you-for-the-mpaa

Now, just two more things and I’ll be done here!

This isn’t really a good or bad thing, but it’s annoying. It also explains how they can prevent you from playing a used game if you didn’t pay their fee. Xbox one no longer plays games off the discs, you HAVE to install them to the hard-drive in order to play them. I believe PS3 also has you do this (on a number of games but not always it seems), except that PS3 isn’t trying to Nickle and Dime you at every corner. It also seems according to this article there is something related to the Online portion at the beginning of this post. The option is there for Developers to require the Xbox to always be online to play their particular game. Well, it seems PC gamers and console gamers have one thing in common now… DRM.

(At least pirates on PC can bypass DRM easily. Not an option for Consoles.)

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4352314/xbox-one-hard-drive-game-installs

And last but not least, another annoyance… Xbox One will not be compatible with any and all current headsets. Nope, companies will either have to make new headsets altogether specifically for the Xbox One, and they have to adhere to what Microsoft wants. Look forward to price gouging.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/22/xbox-one-incompatible-with-current-gaming-headsets

Oh, one more thing… If you have an Xbox 360, don’t get rid of it. Why? Well if you want to keep playing your old 360 games you’ll need it. The Xbox One isn’t backwards compatible. At all. Not only that, but President of Microsoft’s Xbox Division Don Mattrick insults the very notion of backwards compatibility! He calls it: “Backwards thinking.”

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4350662/new-xbox-has-no-backwards-compatibilty

Source of insult: http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/22/4355984/xbox-one-backward-compatibility-backwards-thinking-don-mattrick


That is all I have to say currently folks, and I hope you took the time to read this far. I’ll conclude with the following… please… PLEASE do not buy this console. Paying for this supports greedy and anti-consumer business practices. Speak with your wallet, and pass up the Xbox One. No matter what games it might have that you want, even if they are exclusive. Do the right thing and make a statement. Refuse to be nickle and dimed like this. Refuse to be seen as a mindless consumer who will buy anything tossed to them.

We won’t know much else until after E3, but as it stands now, the PS4 or a decent gaming PC is the best way to go.

If you are willing to do so, please spread this post around. Liking is not even remotely necessary, but do please share it if you agree with and acknowledge what you’ve read here. The more people know, the fewer of them waste their money.

Thank you, kindly.

~Dylan Jordan

Sony seems to be having way too much fun with this...

Yesterday's Jimquisition also has a rant on how the XBone's used game policy affects the concept of ownership of videogames.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7444-Xbox-One-and-the-Death-of-Ownership

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/06/57881-cnet-what-does-x-box-one-have-to-do-with-project-prism/

I do not see how the author of the article determines this is President Obama's fault... Amazing the lengths people go to smear him.

Microsoft has yet to make a new generation of a console that did not widely and inevitably fail. At the beginning of the production run, 68% of the first XBox 360s were found to be defective. Another sixteen percent of those that reached the public failed with the end-user, which suggests that for the first year over two thirds of the 360s built were pieces of shit doomed to failure--and Microsoft made sure users paid for some of them, anyway.

Anectdotally, the problem was far, far larger, because the people who actually used the machines had them fail far more often (one of the problems had to do with the very inexpensive manufacturing process nVidia was using for the graphics chip, and the more it was used the more likely the piece was to crack). I know a pro gamer who cannot count the number of 360s he and his team broke--there was always one being sent back.

Microsoft "solved" the problem after a die-shrink, by removing the "red ring of death" from the box and using a different way to display a hardware failure (the die shrink did reduce heat problems and force nV to use a different manufacturing process, so the problem receded).

Even if you don't care that the XBox One is primarily an always-on market-research device designed to probe for the best way to suck money out of your wallet, if you're the first on your block to get one, you will also very likely be the first one to have to send your XBox One back to the manufacturer for repairs.

It's also worth pointing out that even though the XBox and PS4 hardware specs are pretty good today, both of them will be built on AMD hardware, and AMD is now perpetually less than 18 months from going out of business, being squeezed out by Intel on one side, nVidia on another, and ARM on a third. I wouldn't be surprised to learn they'll be losing money on every console component they make, too, and that in turn virtually guarantees that AMD will skimp on manufacturing quality exactly as nVidia did with the last ones. (Edit: technically, AMD doesn't even make hardware anymore, as their foundry was their only truly profitable business, so they naturally spun it off by itself.)

So the survival of either console depends largely on events that are mostly beyond the control of Sony and Microsoft, and both are relying upon the weakest player in the hardware business to deliver quality components, which is exceedingly unwise....

Final edit: One more thing: neither Sony nor Microsoft has any plans to allow gamers to use mouse-and-keyboard controls. Want to know why you console COD players can't play the PC COD players? Because research shows that console controllers cannot compete with mouse-and-keyboard setups, and even the best console players get cut down by eight-year-olds using an adult setup. The controller itself is a built-in handicap and both Sony and MS demand that you use it.