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Microsoft Studios' creative director has some choice words about always-online

~Kinggi~

Banned
I can't wait to see how Microsoft spins a required connection as being crucial for all gaming experiences and how it's in gamers' best interests.

Well thats exactly what they will do. Its more attractive than the alternative 'hey look guys we need this online to prevent piracy cause we need to make more monies'
 

cuyahoga

Dudebro, My Shit is Fucked Up So I Got to Shoot/Slice You II: It's Straight-Up Dawg Time
I know a number of games next gen will be "always on" through a concoction of "games as a service" type deals that track your progress across single-player in some quasi-social way. And not just games like Destiny—it'll be the type of games you probably won't think of. Also, multiplayer use codes will also encompass single-player, effectively tethering the entire game to a code.

And that's publisher-side decisions on both platforms, regardless of the manufacture-level always on DRM.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
And there it is. Xbox Live has never been that unreliable. Nothing on that level happened to the 360, and nothing on that level will happen on the next Xbox. People really believe that Microsoft won't have all their ducks in a row on this thing? Come on.

Somebody wasn't on X-box Live in 2007 X-mas Day...
 
The majority of people simply aren't going to care - most 360 owners already have Live and are online. Gripe and moan all you want, but the guy has a point. Now me, the PS3 is online and the XBox isn't simply because it doesn't have a wireless adaptor, and I'm not paying the scratch for one.

My choice. And always online is real - my home office is connected via the Internet, and if my Internet is down, so is my productivity. Hell, my coworkers were giving me crap for not being able to participate in video conference the first few months because of crappy Internet connection.

The fact is - this isn't going to matter to 95% of 360 owners. MS is prepared to lose the other 5% because they make nothing off of them anyway.

You are missing the point here, with 360 if a error occurs with the online connection you are still able to play single player, it is heavily rumoured that the next xbox won't let you play at all without a connection. A game like Skyrim for example, how does that benefit the player having to be always online?
 
Terrible analogies, but I think this pretty much confirms always online. Trust me, when I said rumors keep popping up over and over again the games industry, it is normally legitimate. It is coincidental that they are all super secretive with X360??? Now all we need are anti-used games and Kinect to put fuel on the proverbial fire.
 
Can't wait to see this shit again when everyone buys the next Xbox regardless of an internet connection being required.

4qUJhlq.jpg


Let's not forget Diablo 3 and Sim City selling millions despite requiring an internet connection. No different than the new CoD released every year - we all hate it but must have it.
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
Well thats exactly what they will do. Its more attractive than the alternative 'hey look guys we need this online to prevent piracy cause we need to make more monies'

"The Xbox version is super special because you're always connected and having fun with your friends." <please don't buy the PS4 version of the same game>
 

Ghazi

Member
And there it is. Xbox Live has never been that unreliable. Nothing on that level happened to the 360, and nothing on that level will happen on the next Xbox. People really believe that Microsoft won't have all their ducks in a row on this thing? Come on.

EA claimed they would and that they learned from Diablo 3 launch, look what happened there.
 

Usobuko

Banned
PS4 will probably at the very least match sales of Durango in the US

Launching earlier with a much better library is probably one of the key advantages that 360 enjoys.

I expect the new xbox to repeat the same strategy. Get many exclusives early in the generation to build up the install base rapidly and makes it the choice for multi-platform games. It's only then they can rest on their laurels, pull off whatsoever profitable moves and not get a heavy backlash.
 
ADAM: fuck halo


JAFFE: well they don't have your name! You can say that! Anyway- ok, gotta go! See ya! And please, for the love of God: LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!!!


ADAM: actaully, i stand by what i said, you can print my name, just leave out "fuck halo"

JAFFE: shit really? Ok.


ADAM: ok, print it
fuck it


This man has a way with words
 

pargonta

Member
I would rather he look at it through the framing of a piece of art.

increasingly it is a transitional period i agree,
but a painting, music, a book, and a video game...
these are all things that should be able to be experienced without an internet connection.

i don't see how one can argue otherwise. well, i guess the op is one way.
 

teh_pwn

"Saturated fat causes heart disease as much as Brawndo is what plants crave."
If this is true and I had more money, I'd opportunistically invest 10-20k into SNE. PS4 is making lots of rational decisions that support gamers and developers. It's nothing fantastic, but compared to issues of always online and the sales trend of WiiU, this may be a lifeline for Sony to return into strong profitability.
 

rpmurphy

Member
of course you can. But a lot of people don't get much use. A lot of the uses of iPads and phones (email, facebook, youtube, pinterest, instagram) require internet connections. I'm not saying it won't cause some inconvenience and aggravation, I'm saying it won't be nearly as controversial for your average consumer. Hell if anything, if they buy an Xbox and are constantly unable to play, they will probably get mad at their internet provider before MS.
I'm pretty sure that if the Kindle app (people use that, right?) required an internet connection for it to work, there would be a lot of angry people.
The Android Kindle app for a long time had a bug that would log you out every time you closed the app, and the app was essentially useless to me until they patched it.
 

schuelma

Wastes hours checking old Famitsu software data, but that's why we love him.
Launching earlier with a much better library is probably one of the key advantages that 360 enjoys.

I expect the new xbox to repeat the same strategy. Get many exclusives early in the generation to build up the install base rapidly and makes it the choice for multi-platform games. It's only then they can rest on their laurels, pull off whatsoever profitable moves and not get a heavy backlash.

Yeah but arguably the biggest factor in that strategy (launching first) isn't happening this time.
 

FStop7

Banned
All aboard the arrogance train in Redmond.

From what it sounds like out of GDC there were not many kind words used to describe MS by several developers (especially the indies) speaking off the record.
 
Launching earlier with a much better library is probably one of the key advantages that 360 enjoys.

I expect the new xbox to repeat the same strategy. Get many exclusives early in the generation to build up the install base rapidly and makes it the choice for multi-platform games. It's only then they can rest on their laurels, pull off whatsoever profitable moves and not get a heavy backlash.

how is that going to happen when the ps4 is coming this fall
 
I still can't believe they would do this considering online penetration around the world still isn't at the point I would think it should be. For me personally though I agree with his "electricity will go out, I won't buy a TV" point. That is the reasoning that will cause me to purchase a 720 despite all this. It's not good reasoning for everyone though. If your internet going out is an issue then you have every right to say fuck this console. It almost certainly means when I have a choice between a PS4 and 720 version of a game I will be getting the PS4 unless there are some crazy exclusive features. I'm amazed he would even talk about this right now though.

Uh why would the "if electricity will go out I won't buy a TV" point be good enough for you? That makes literally zero sense in this context because electricity is required for any TV to function. This is the same for a vacuum unless there's a handcrank vacuum out there I don't know about. Online is not required for any console to function.
 
Launching earlier with a much better library is probably one of the key advantages that 360 enjoys.

I expect the new xbox to repeat the same strategy. Get many exclusives early in the generation to build up the install base rapidly and makes it the choice for multi-platform games. It's only then they can rest on their laurels, pull off whatsoever profitable moves and not get a heavy backlash.

So you think the 720 is gonna release not only earlier than the PS4, but with better exclusives too. Did you fall and hit your head?
 

jaypah

Member
I didn't think it was possible but now I think the console wars could come back.

Gamepad and always online defenders versus Sony. It's even more brutal this time since Sony actually wields a powerful console.

The console wars could come back? Lmao, welcome to the internet. Enjoy your stay. You don't need reasons for a fanboy console war, all you need is the words Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. You think if MS and Ninty did everything right the console wars would be dead? Wut?
 
I didn't think it was possible but now I think the console wars could come back.

Gamepad and always online defenders versus Sony. It's even more brutal this time since Sony actually wields a powerful console this time.
Really? The PS4 isn't even out yet and people are already declaring it the "winner" of a war that doesn't actually exist. What's that I smell? Deja vu?

sony_slide2..jpg
 

CyReN

Member
from the same guy

"F HALO" says EA's Adam Orth on Jaffe's Blog
(via 2007)

Here's a conversation on IM between myself and Adam Orth, designer at Sony who worked with me on TM:Black, Calling All Cars. He also worked on some of the Medal of Honor games over at EALA. Enjoy!

And Halo fans...my flame suit is on, so do your worst! Just read the whole f***ing thing

David
++++++++++++++++

AIM IM with adamorth.
11:47 AM

Adam: give me a f***ing break:
http://kotaku.com/gaming/tease/the-t...?autoplay=true

Jaffe: It's a decent add I think. I just don't get HALO. I don't think the story is all that special, don't think the world or characters matter much. I don't know if I am simply not 'getting it' and it really is all that...or Microsoft has simply purchased rabid fan reactions for what is a great game but nothing more.

Adam: that ad is insulting
"belive"?
come on

Jaffe: Am I missing something?
What's insulting about it?

Adam: well, for 1, i think it's disrespectcful to actual veterans of real wars and 2, they really expect people to become that invested in the halo story? i guess i just really dislike halo and that ad aint helping

Jaffe: well that's what I mean about buying the hype. I don't dislike Halo at all and really liked parts of Halo 2 alot...I am in minority who felt single player halo 2 was better than halo 1 single player. I mean, I hear people talk about the flood and sh** and I'm like: what? Who gives a sh**.

Adam: halo = meh

Jaffe: As for disrespect, come on...like Medal of Honor has not been doing he same for a long time. They talk about how important the games are and they are so earnest about it but come on, they are shooters. If they really cared about doing it right, they would give the MOH teams 3 years schedules and make Bioshock meets MOH...in terms of story and character and production value. And they would make THAT the game Spielberg was directing for them.

Adam: respectfully, i'll totally dosagree with you there. MOH games take alot of care to not be disrespectful it's one of the things they do right

JaFFE: While I LOVED MOH:Underground (top 10 games of all time for me) and dug the first one on PS2, emotionally, the most moved I ever was by MOH was with the music and seeing it played likve over a montage of soldiers at Video Games Live.

Adam: well, i guess i have a different insight than you do having sat with veterans and taklked about their experience and how it relates to the games...

Jaffe: It's not an issue of disrespect to the troops. It's an issue of them riding on the sentimentality of people when they talk about how much they care and understand the sacrifice of the soldiers and then put out a sub par shooter that has nothing to do in the play mechanics or design with the sacrifice the soldiers went thru. It's all window dressing that shows either the team doesn't understand how to apply the history 'under the hood' and apply it to the play itself OR it shows that EA does not care about the message at all, and it's all a way to market the game./

ADAM: i agree that most of the finished products veer off from the original intent. it's big problem at EA for MOH

JAFFE: They can cram all the sappy music and interviews with vets on the disc they want...but the game, the product they are actually selling, does not make me feel any closer to the vets sacrifice than any other shooter.
Hey- can I post this discussion on my blog if I don't put your name>?

ADAM: you can post my name...

JAFFE: sweet- sadly it will rile up halo fans...hope they see that I DO LIKE HALO! I just don't get the religious fervor and feel much of the fervor has been purchased by Microsoft. But they'll still hate me

ADAM: f*** halo

JAFFE: well they don't have your name! You can say that! Anyway- ok, gotta go! See ya! And please, for the love of God: LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!!!

ADAM: actaully, i stand by what i said, you can print my name, just leave out "f*** halo"

JAFFE: sh*t really? Ok.

ADAM: ok, print it
f*** it

JAFFE: cool, you got it.

++++++++++++++++

So there you go...well hey, I thought it was fun!
 
Wouldn't really change anything all that much if he came out and said it was a joke. First impression is made and it will stick regardless

First impressions matter when it comes to this? As in if you found out that the next xbox allowed offline play you still wouldn't buy it because of this first impression?
 
Ugh. Guess I should spend some time getting used to the god-awful PS3 controller.
Well, the PS4 controller is improved.

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but this means Xbox Live will at least be free most likely. They can't force people online and then not let them do anything. I'm sure there will be different tiers of course.
 
Moronic comments. I'll own both next gen consoles, but always online would pretty much ensure I'd choose PS4 for third party titles, the opposite for me this gen in which the 360 was my primary third party machine. My net went down the day BioShock Infinite came out so having a choice would always go against the 720 to avoid a situation like that, as rare as it is.
 

Foffy

Banned
Can't wait to see this shit again when everyone buys the next Xbox regardless of an internet connection being required.

4qUJhlq.jpg


Let's not forget Diablo 3 and Sim City selling millions despite requiring an internet connection. No different than the new CoD released every year - we all hate it but must have it.

Speak for yourself. I have not played Diablo III, SimCity, or a Cowwadooty since Modern Warfare 2. I have happily avoided most of the dreck the masses are falling for. I wish for someone or some group to throw salt at this new machine if it's always online and circumvent it, just as a big fuck you to MS.
 

JCreasy

Member
Let me get in this real quick.

As far as his smartphone analogy, not all apps require an internet/data connection to function. There are plenty of apps that work "offline," as it were.

Do I need a connection to read books in iBooks? Nope.

How about watch a movie or listen to music if I decide to download them on my phone? Nope.

Hell, some of my games work offline too!

My smart phone doesn't become useless if I don't have a connection. This is especially important for when I happen to be in an area with a bad connection. Can't surf the web? No problem, time to read another chapter in my book.

So yeah, there's no justifying the "always on" drm approach this dude is pushing. His glib tweets are quite telling.

"I thinkest thou protest too much."
 

Vyer

Member
Always Online will matter to the masses only if it causes technical issues and failures. Otherwise they won't care.

Still...these analogies. The decision to put these comments on Twitter. The arrogant dismissal of customers outside of big cities....all of it is mind boggling in its stupidity.
 

Gestahl

Member
Can't wait to see this shit again when everyone buys the next Xbox regardless of an internet connection being required.

4qUJhlq.jpg


Let's not forget Diablo 3 and Sim City selling millions despite requiring an internet connection. No different than the new CoD released every year - we all hate it but must have it.

We all know how rigorously vetted steam groups are
 
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