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[Penguins&PolarBears]

Also to the people saying they will go back to just targeting the core gamers again... did you people learn absolutely nothing from last gen?

I seem to remember this system called a Wii launching directly against a PS3 and Gears of War and wiping the floor with both competitors right out of the gate. Why would you take no lessons from history. If MS goes back to this old strategy they are as hopeless as Sony. It won't be Sony who beats them ultimately it will be another company. I'm not saying the lesson is to alienate the core gamers, but you should really think about why so many more consumers were much more excited about the Wii than the PS3 or 360 and try to tap into that. The idea that Sony addressed the mainstream consumers with dancing virtual puppets is insulting.

Now I know the argument that the box is expensive so you have to appeal to the core gamer only, but I just don't accept the premise that the box has to be expensive up front. The cable companies and cellphone companies have figured out how to get expensive hardware in the hands of mainstream consumers. Tablet makers like Amazon are figuring out how to get expensive tablets in the hands of consumers.


I think it's time to throw the old Playstation 1 playbook out the window. I'd like to see the console manufacturers start thinking bigger than ~100 million lifetime sales.

 

[Jarekx]

I haven't enjoyed a single first party MS game so there isn't much they could do to get me on board. I'm sure they'll have some timed exclusives but I can wait. I'm open to being proven wrong by them though.

 

[FordGTGuy]

Do we have any information regarding the size of these studios? I'm willing to bet that the majority of them are working on Kinect titles or maybe even non-gaming/gaming related applications and services.

This is the thing that annoys me the most... it's like people think Microsoft has just gone completely Kinect..... I don't get it.

 

[trmas]

We will see... I remember very much liking the 360 initially, and then it all went downhill. My decision will be based on 1st/2nd party games, and so far it looks like Sony has WAY better developers there

Imagine what Naughty Dog can do without memory constraints...


We will see, though. I'm only getting one this generation, and it is probably my last

 

[Arsenal]

For me, the big surprise would be tearing down the XBL paywall. It will also likely be the deciding factor regarding which console I go with next gen. I do end up using my console for a lot of entertainment features, and I don't need another subscription to pay for. I've never owned a PS, but I may be taking the leap this year!

 

[Dusky]

We know for a fact that they are working on at least two IPs (horror action shooter from Black Tusk, action-adventure or shooter from Rare), possibly four. Lionhead's working on an MMO-like game, Turn 10 is doing something, Playground's doing something else, etc.

I personally think MS will match Sony in terms of exclusives quantity wise. The only thing MS lack imo is a quality studio, a lot of their studios are good but nothing great like ND or SSM. Sure they have a lot of new studios in the pipeline but they're not yet proven.

 

[DocSeuss]

This is the thing that annoys me the most... it's like people think Microsoft has just gone completely Kinect..... I don't get it.

To be fair, most people aren't paying attention to Microsoft's consistently INCREDIBLE XBLA output. Seriously, XBLA is the best reason to own a console. Aside from a meager handful of console exclusive titles, pretty much everything can be found on the PC... except XBLA-like functionality.

Love being able to download demos of everything.

I personally think MS will match Sony in terms of exclusives quantity wise. The only thing MS lack imo is a quality studio, a lot of their studios are good but nothing great like ND or SSM. Sure they have a lot of new studios in the pipeline but they're not yet proven.

Um.

Microsoft has way, way better first-party output than Sony does... Naughty Dog's Uncharted games are absolutely awful, ultra-linear games with bad writing, bad AI, bad gunplay, and boring traversal. Sony Santa Monica's output with God of War is puerile and embarrassing. I felt guilty playing God of War 3. Contrast this with Forza, which is the best racing franchise this generation (and, with Horizon, it has both simulation and arcadey flavors!), the super-experimental Fable series, titles from Epic and Remedy (two of the best shooter developers on the planet), and then there's 343, made up of people from Bungie, Rockstar, Retro Studios, Naughty Dog, etc). Plus, they published one of the best stealth games of all time, Mark of the Ninja. XBLA's output is amazing.

You might like Sony's games more, but from most objective standpoints... yeah, I firmly disagree with your point of view.

 

[Hanmik]

We know for a fact that they are working on at least two IPs (horror action shooter from Black Tusk, action-adventure or shooter from Rare), possibly four. Lionhead's working on an MMO-like game, Turn 10 is doing something, Playground's doing something else, etc.

I know that much.. but we still don't know what they are doing.. they could be making cod clones, kinect racers or something new and exiting. you said it yourself, you were surprised by viva pinata and other unique games, horror action
shooter, action adventure and mmo sounds nothing like the stuff you want in the OP.

I still don't see any signs from ms that signals a departure from where they are right now.

 

[Uno Venova]

This is the thing that annoys me the most... it's like people think Microsoft has just gone completely Kinect..... I don't get it.

Are there any rumors about what the different studios are doing though?

 

[Row]

Free online gaming would be a big one, but the chances of that happening are slim to none

 

[PhatSaqs]

I doubt that there will be many major surprises during the nextbox unveiling. MS's goal now is to take over the living room and to do that they will shift their focus away from games to non-gaming services and features.

MS won't be going after the GAF crowd this time around, they'll be going after the "dudebro" audience and casual gamers. And to do that they don't need new IPs, just Kinect 2.0 and the latest COD/Halo game.

Awesome lol

 

[FordGTGuy]

Are there any rumors about what the different studios are doing though?

Is there any evidence that they are doing Kinect only games?

 

[therapist]

Interesting but much speculation.

I for one will only bother getting one if they have a ton of shmups like the current one has.

Otherwise im just gonna be wii u / ps4 / pc

I beleive it will be much more kinect oriented than OP thinks, but hopefully i am proven wrong.

P.S Fuck Kinect

 

[Uno Venova]

Is there any evidence that they are doing Kinect only games?

I'm asking what the studios are rumored to be doing.

 

[The Living Tribunal]

Are there any rumors about what the different studios are doing though?

Black Tusk Studios is supposedly making a horror/sci-fi shooter.

 

[Dusky]

Is there any evidence that they are doing Kinect only games?

Yes, you should check TheOddOne's posts he seems to find a lot of interesting information regarding what MS devs are up to.

 

[AgentP]

Microsoft has way, way better first-party output than Sony does....

Ok... you sound bitter and are just making a laundry list of why MS is good and Sony is bad. The discussion is worthless with such hostility and bias.

 

[DocSeuss]

Are there any rumors about what the different studios are doing though?

We know that Lionhead is doing an MMO. Rare is hiring people with experience in either AAA action-adventure or shooter titles (PERFECT DARK?!) and being led by the guy who did Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (one of the best horror games ever made). All signs point to Kinect having been dropped from Black Tusk's sci-fi horror FPS.

Didn't I put most of this in the OP?

Ok... you sound bitter and are just making a laundry list of why MS is good and Sony is bad. The discussion is worthless with such hostility and bias.

Sorry.

I really, really, really dislike Naughty Dog's approach to video games. I hate the idea of games as authored experiences where developers feel they are better at playing the game than you, and will actively do things like ensure you make a jump or take away camera control to show you how 'awesome' their scripted sequence looks. I hate that those games are praised as being amazing when their AI has x-ray vision and mostly-boring behaviors, their puzzles aren't all that interesting, the weapon selection is boring, the writing is predictable and bad, and on and on and on I could go.

When someone says "Naughty Dog is better than some of the world's greatest developers," I find myself surprised, and respond accordingly. Sucker Punch and Insomniac are better developers than Naughty Dog. Santa Monica can be great, but their focus on the puerility of God of War is incredibly off-putting.

 

[Penguins&PolarBears]

I think Windows 8 was a huge, huge misstep on Microsoft's part. Their Windows division is just... making so many wrong decisions.

Well that just means your analysis of the computer industry is as good as that of the games industry.

In a world where desktops and laptops are being replaced by tablets and smartphones how would you logically redesign Windows?

Windows 8 is smart because it makes touch screens a priority, it creates an official app store, it brings in support of ARM and holds the potential of unifying their phones, tablets, laptops, and living room set top boxes around a single OS and unified app platform.

I look at what Google and Apple are doing splintering their users across multiple operating systems and I see a big mistake there. Mac sales are down 22%, compared to the app stores on Windows, iOS, and Android the Mac app store is a massive failure with little to no developer support.

Even Sony intimated at the event yesterday that via Gaikai the future of Playstation is just to become a platform like Steam or Origin. There may come a point where Playstation is a platform you play on a Windows machine with an Xbox controller.

 

[Uno Venova]

Black Tusk Studios is supposedly making a horror/sci-fi shooter.

Thank you for a real answer. Sounds promising.

 

[Arsenal]

I think we will also see MS go with a x86 architecture which will be interesting - cross platform games will be easier than ever to make with less to differentiate them. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if this was something that MS and Sony both agreed to do behind the scenes. As much as they are competitors, neither of them are in a position to flop this gen and there is less of a "winner takes all attitude" in this industry these days. This gen they established that they can all make money, and with this approach we will likely see some devs ignoring the Wii U and just concentrating on PC/XB/PS titles since they share the same architectures.

I am sure GAFers will dislike having more parity between the platforms, but as the industry matures, I have no doubt it is what we will see.

 

[Derrick01]

the super-experimental Fable series

That's one way to say dogshit I suppose.

 

[FordGTGuy]

Well that just means your analysis of the computer industry is as good as that of the games industry.

In a world where desktops and laptops are being replaced by tablets and smartphones how would you logically redesign Windows?

Windows 8 is smart because it makes touch screens a priority, it creates an official app store, it brings in support of ARM and holds the potential of unifying their phones, tablets, laptops, and living room set top boxes around a single OS and unified app platform.

I look at what Google and Apple are doing splintering their users across multiple operating systems and I see a big mistake there. Mac sales are down 22%, compared to the app stores on Windows, iOS, and Android the Mac app store is a massive failure with little to no develop support.

Even Sony intimated at the event yesterday that via Gaikai the future of Playstation is just to become a platform like Steam or Origin. There may come a point where Playstation is a platform you play on a Windows machine with an Xbox controller.

Leo Laporte, one of the largest figures in the tech industry has the same interpretation as you and I do.

 

[HollovVpo1nt]

Hardware wise, they won't. It requires an impractial amount of work to modify the rumoured Durango specs to even match PS4 specs.

 

[Dusky]

We know that Lionhead is doing an MMO. Rare is hiring people with experience in either AAA action-adventure or shooter titles (PERFECT DARK?!) and being led by the guy who did Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (one of the best horror games ever made). All signs point to Kinect having been dropped from Black Tusk's sci-fi horror FPS.

Didn't I put most of this in the OP?

Rare also supposedly have a water-racing game or something.

 

[Spongebob]

That's one way to say dogshit I suppose.

IDK. Personally I liked Fable 1 and 2, they definitely weren't perfect, but I thought that they were pretty decent and quite charming.

 

[Dusky]

IDK. Personally I liked Fable 1 and 2, they definitely weren't perfect, but I thought that they were pretty decent and quite charming.

Then Fable 3 happened.

 

[Ol No Bones]

Ok... you sound bitter and are just making a laundry list of why MS is good and Sony is bad. The discussion is worthless with such hostility and bias.

Sony only fans are as hostile as it gets.

 

[Marleyman]

I have said this since last E3; I believe that Microsoft is loading up on new IP for the upcoming gen. Kinect will be included w/ the system, but I just can't see them focusing on it at launch. They did so well early on w/ the 360 so why not do the same thing this time?

 

[Derrick01]

IDK. Personally I liked Fable 1 and 2, they definitely weren't perfect, but I thought that they were pretty decent and quite charming.

As a RPG fan that series is about as casual and pointless as a RPG series can be. Figuring out how to fart on someone is about the most complex gameplay feature in those games.

 

[Marleyman]

IDK. Personally I liked Fable 1 and 2, they definitely weren't perfect, but I thought that they were pretty decent and quite charming.

The first two Fables were very solid games, to me at least. The 3rd was a big letdown but that doesn't mean they can't easily make the Fable series into something special on the next Xbox.

 

[Replicant]

An essay for Microsoft? Now I've seen everything.

 

[Ol No Bones]

Hardware wise, they won't. It requires an impractial amount of work to modify the rumoured Durango specs to even match PS4 specs.

You have no idea what skus they have had ready to roll out with it. I like the ps4 hardware they announced but its not like it has unbelievable specs. The memory is really cool but nothing else is special. I think it's a good direction.

 

[Doug Heffernan]

They won't surprise me...

I expect them to bring it.

is going to push this far more as an all-purpose media box than the PS4 (which barely had any discussion in last night's conference)

Sony will put more focus on the camera and media stuff at E3 I bet.

 

[DocSeuss]

In a world where desktops and laptops are being replaced by tablets and smartphones how would you logically redesign Windows?

Okay:

1. They are being supplemented, not replaced.

2. Only an idiot designs software that doesn't take advantage of the control interface it has. You don't design a desktop computer to use touch interface when it hasn't got a touchscreen.

This is why God invented multiple SKUs.

...especially when your OS has its market share because of business applications, where using a mouse and keyboard is essential to its proper use.

Windows 8 was a huge, huge mistake.

That's one way to say dogshit I suppose.

Nah, Fable is awesome, it's just... horrifically misguided. It would be so much better on the PC with a PC interface. The game is insanely simulation-oriented, and nearly all its steps backwards seem to be based around the controller interface.

Hardware wise, they won't. It requires an impractial amount of work to modify the rumoured Durango specs to even match PS4 specs.

I'm with you on this, which is why I avoided talking about anything but games in the OP.

That said, what are the latest dates we have on Durango? I don't understand why I've heard devs say that Durango is on par with the PS4 when everything we've seen says they're not.

Rare also supposedly have a water-racing game or something.

Really? Awesome.

An essay for Microsoft? Now I've seen everything.

It took all of ten minutes to write, and seemed like an interesting perspective no one was really considering.

Why not?

As a RPG fan that series is about as casual and pointless as a RPG series can be. Figuring out how to fart on someone is about the most complex gameplay feature in those games.

You have an extremely limited definition of what RPGs should be. Fable's all about removing useless dice rolls and RPG abstractions and focusing on letting players actually role-play. It's a totally different route from what grognards like you enjoy, but it's incredibly interesting and absurdly fun if you're willing to give up your preconceptions and just give it a go.

Kinda like how I thought Viva Pinata was a stupid Pokemon-like game until I gave up my hardcore gamer preconceptions and realized that cutesy pinatas were actually insanely fun.

I like games that don't fit within limited preconceptions and try new things. I especially like it when they do them well, and while Fable never quite delivers, it always intrigues me.

 

[PhatSaqs]

An essay for Microsoft? Now I've seen everything.

I guess you've missed the 1 million history of play station threads this and last week lmao

 

[Doffen]

They've got a big open sand box zombie game coming out for XBLA/PC still and I think that is microsoft published

(State of decay)

still some current interesting stuff & future stuff has me really curious.

Microsoft actually owns the IP.

I also believe Class4 will be Microsoft.

As a RPG fan that series is about as casual and pointless as a RPG series can be. Figuring out how to fart on someone is about the most complex gameplay feature in those games.

Farting is an art. Learn to appreciate it!

 

[Skyzard]

Really the only thing Microsoft has at this point that I find interesting is that patent for a futuristic video game room projection system.

The Xbox lost a lot of money, but got its brand into the public mindshare, which was Microsoft's goal. In 2008, when the economy collapsed, Microsoft was determined not to lose that kind of money again, so they started shuttering the AAA studios that weren't doing extremely well (basically, everyone who was selling fewer games than Lionhead). Assuming a three year development cycle, games that might have been announced in 2010 were dropped. In addition, the PC studios got shut down, because the guys who fought for PC gaming at Microsoft (Allen, Gates), weren't around as much, and the guys running the Entertainment division were mostly Xbox guys. My understanding is that the profit margins weren't too good at Ensemble, despite their games' great sales.

If Microsoft wanting to get in the public eye well they wouldn't have dropped so many guys, it's not like they can't afford to keep up the quality.

I'm sure they'll still have a great lineup of games and that are also rather impressive but can people afford to carry on paying subscription fees for online and do they want to also put up with ads at the same time, which seems like they will become even more of a focus with the x720.
I'm sure they will if the price of the main console was low enough and Microsoft money-hatted for exclusivity with advertising with certain major titles, but still.

 

[Rapstah]

If Microsoft's console is absolutely amazing, I don't think they have the ability to present it as such. Whatever the console is, you're going to have those eight seconds of Don Mattrick applauding himself or nothing that seem to be the only thing from the conference you remember.

 

[UberTag]

This is the thing that annoys me the most... it's like people think Microsoft has just gone completely Kinect..... I don't get it.

Dude, don't get worked up over the system partisans. It's not worth it.
They themselves don't even believe half the things they're perpetuating.
They're simply trying to foster a perception by hammering it enough until it sticks.

And that goes for both sides of the fence. Folks on GAF hammered the Vita "has no games" mantra until everyone believed it to be true.

 

[Marleyman]

If Microsoft's console is absolutely amazing, I don't think they have the ability to present it as such. Whatever the console is, you're going to have those eight seconds of Don Mattrick applauding himself or nothing that seem to be the only thing from the conference you remember.

If Microsoft comes up with some amazing new IP's you are saying the only thing we will remember is "Don Mattrick?" That just makes no sense.

 

[zugzug]

Microsoft wil never suprise me cuz anything they make I know they think it will make them money over us so they really aren't in the business of making great stuff.

 

[SuperSonic1305]

Um.

Microsoft has way, way better first-party output than Sony does... Naughty Dog's Uncharted games are absolutely awful, ultra-linear games with bad writing, bad AI, bad gunplay, and boring traversal. Sony Santa Monica's output with God of War is puerile and embarrassing. I felt guilty playing God of War 3. Contrast this with Forza, which is the best racing franchise this generation (and, with Horizon, it has both simulation and arcadey flavors!), the super-experimental Fable series, titles from Epic and Remedy (two of the best shooter developers on the planet), and then there's 343, made up of people from Bungie, Rockstar, Retro Studios, Naughty Dog, etc). Plus, they published one of the best stealth games of all time, Mark of the Ninja. XBLA's output is amazing.

You might like Sony's games more, but from most objective standpoints... yeah, I firmly disagree with your point of view.

Is this a joke? You bring up metascores in earlier posts but spout BS about Uncharted and God of War being "objectively" bad?

 

[Marleyman]

Microsoft wil never suprise me cuz anything they make I know they think it will make them money over us so they really aren't in the business of making great stuff.

My god, what is this drivel?

 

[szaromir]

Things Microsoft should do with Durango:
a) make multiplayer online gaming accessible to Xbox Live free members, shift Gold's focus to PS+-style discounts and non-gaming content/services
b) open up the console for indie devs, basically make it part of the Windows 8/WP8 ecosystem, similar to how Apple devices make one ecosystem. Expand Xbox Live Indie Games for better browsing and applications different than games. I think such a move would not only help Xbox, but would help people warm up to W8/WP8 stores and their offerings
c) release new IPs that focus on genuinely new ideas. Killzone demo looked meh to me because it looked like Call of Duty Sci-Fi. Sort of like Crackdown was a very unique take on open-world, Gears of War focused on a niche/unexplored mechanic (cover system), I would like Microsoft to be this bold with their every new series they're going to launch on their new console. To put it into perspective, Lost Odyssey even though it was a new IP was very uninspiring because it wanted to be a Final Fantasy.

 

[charsace]

As a RPG fan that series is about as casual and pointless as a RPG series can be. Figuring out how to fart on someone is about the most complex gameplay feature in those games.

Fable 2 had great AI. The dog is one of the best AI characters I've ever seen in gaming. The farting is immature, but that's the point of it. The game is supposed to be light and wacky.

 

[Swifty]

I think Microsoft is going to be in a bit tougher position next generation. I would wager half of their success this generation was due to capitalizing on Sony's mistakes. Sony has demonstrated that they learned some really hard lessons with the PS3. Microsoft must be prepared to deal with a Sony that's not going to drop the ball as often.

 

[Skyzard]

Is this a joke? You bring up metascores in earlier posts but spout BS about Uncharted and God of War being "objectively" bad?

It does seem like a joke until the end...

Both are decent, Sony is classy though and the titles mentioned have been nothing short of spectacular.

I feel guilty playing GoW3

What's this about hah, you feel too powerful? Turn up the difficulty...or is it too much violence. That elephant shot in the Ascension preview we saw ages ago looked too much for me. GoW 3 ..hasn't left a scar or anything though.

 

[DocSeuss]

Is this a joke? You bring up metascores in earlier posts but spout BS about Uncharted and God of War being "objectively" bad?

Review scores tend to prioritize visuals over everything else. Uncharted and God of War have excellent, excellent visuals, which is why, despite the awful gameplay, they still score quite nicely.

My personal tastes almost always line up exactly with Metascore numbers (I can generally pick a game's metascore within ~2 points). It diverges primarily when it comes to games that have nice visuals but bad gameplay (Rockstar games, Naughty Dog games, etc). God of War actually has excellent gameplay and visuals. It's just intensely immature.

 

[Hanmik]

Is this a joke? You bring up metascores in earlier posts but spout BS about Uncharted and God of War being "objectively" bad?

i think so. his op seemed fine to me.. but that post just seems so strange. like he had to defend something or someone, first he praises games like viva pinata and seems to miss games like that, but now he is talking about how good all the other games also are, that he infact dismissed in his op.