Official Microsoft Conference Thread

[Viper]

Event: Entertainment Evolved

When: June 4, at 9:30am PT/ 12:30pm ET/ 4:30pm GMT

Viewing Options: Xbox Live stream





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[solidsnakejej]

(On visiting MS in a few weeks) Pachter: "They told me don't expect a lot of game stuff, expect a lot of dashboard, interface, multimedia."
From GameTrailers Bonus Round: http://www.gametrailers.com/episode/bonusround/604

[Viper]

Services seem to be the direction they are taking things.

I've even heard a rumor they plan to offer a basic X360 + Kinect for a 2 year $15 monthly subscription fee.

[D3adcell]

Please no more casual kinect shit. Leave that stuff for tv commercials. E3 is not the audience for that.

[Segitz]

Well... it's just as bleak on the other sides, I guess...


(On visiting MS in a few weeks) Pachter: "They told me don't expect a lot of game stuff, expect a lot of dashboard, interface, multimedia."

Really? Then I probably won't watch the keynote at all... why do I follow a GAMING CONSOLE at all?? For the games, no?

[D3adcell]

Well... it's just as bleak on the other sides, I guess...



Really? Then I probably won't watch the keynote at all... why do I follow a GAMING CONSOLE at all?? For the games, no?

Sadly I think gaming consoles are going to go the way of the dodo bird. Companies are just focusing way too much on being a multimedia device instead of gaming device. It's a bleak time for us and the future of gaming. However PC gaming is kind of being resuscitated. Especially with all the indie games and support of clients like steam.

[OmniStalgic]

Nintendo isn't focusing on anything but the games...problem is, 3rd parties haven't been there friends for the like the past 10 years...

Sony as well has grown WWS considerably this generation, and have been releasing more and more platforms to further game development (Vita/Suite/Minis/etc..) I'm quite looking forward to there shows, but you have to consider MS position, if they haven't been working on a bunch of exclusive game internally, what are they going to show besides service:huh:

[Viper]

Nintendo isn't focusing on anything but the games...problem is, 3rd parties haven't been there friends for the like the past 10 years...

Which Wii U has already shown way beyond the early 3rd party software details for N64, GC, DS and Wii and E3 has yet to even happen. I don't think they'll get as much as MS and Sony but they will get far more than they've received in a very long time (3DS had a pretty decent pre-release 3rd party line up).

If MS is indeed expecting to launch the Next X next year, this E3 might not be all that important to them. X360 is going to sell what it's going to sell now. A big E3 won't change that. But a price cut or a subscription service might. So that might be the better direction for them to take their E3. A major grand multimillion $ show won't create any new sales at this point.

[JasonXe]

Hoping they decide to drop out.

[BahnNZ]

Say this troll on another forum, troll though it may be, it's kinda accurate.

Here's what's going to happen:

-Show opens with a Call of Duty "live" demonstration of a guy pretending to play the game when it's really just a pre recorded video feed.
-Microsoft shows off Halo 4 campaign
-Twenty minutes pass of Microsoft showing how you can Skype using Kinect on your Xbox
-New services are announced that nobody gives a flippity fuck about. Pay for this new service that you can only use while paying for another service.
-Don Mattrick receives a 'should tap' for their last big announcement of the show: My Little Pony Kinect. GAF goes nuts, declares MS the victor of E3.

[Segitz]

Without Robert Bowling... what's MS gonna do^^ (well, yeah, it's not IW either, so... sue me)

Imagina if there was a "PC" keynote... were all the major player that do stuff on PC could go on stage and show off their new stuff. The console would look pretty bleak^^ (They'd still sell better, but just showing what you can do on PC... mostly for free, is just insane^^)

[BahnNZ]

They did do it 50/50 at one point didn't they, XBox and Games for Windows. Showed off Crysis for the first time. Problem is you overshadow what's on 360, and I imagine Microsoft make more from 360.

[Segitz]

Sure they do...

my point was... MS trying to show off the "multimedia capabilities" of their console, when there's already software out there overshadowing all consoles by a MILE, and all that for free (well, the software at least, like XBMC). XBMC even runs on Raspberry Pi (which I will buy soon), which costs 35USD and can decode up to BDROM spec video. Gamewise, PC can't hold a candle to what consoles offer in "AAA" stuff. Sure, there's the odd Civilization and whatnot, but the rest is just console ports anyways.

I just wonder why people would buy a console to do the stuff MS is so much invested in. The 360 is (imho) a lot better than say a Roku or Apple TV, but it is also more expensive than the two.

But we'll see... maybe MS has an ace up their sleeve... who knows.

[BahnNZ]

Well, AppleTVs murder 360s in Media capabilities, you just have to jailbreak them, install XBMC and the rest. It's all legal. People just need to be educated.

And that thing about PCs not holding a candle to what consoles offer? That's very debatable. It assumes a - The best games are console exclusives - b - PC exclusives, timed or otherwise, Witcher 2, Crysis, Diablo III, World of Warcraft, Eve Online, Starcraft II, Torchlight and the rest aren't as good as console exclusives. Veeeeery debatable.

[Segitz]

It's debateable, sure... I don't think it'll stay this way, though... walled gardens will shrivel and die.

[BahnNZ]

The garden is walled because some games work best on a mouse/keyboard combo, this produces exclusives, such as consoles have waggle, shake and boogie exclusives. You can have those. :)

[Segitz]

I meant that "consoles" are the walled gardens.

But anyways... Apple TV is interesting^^ Sadly, V3 isn't jailbroken yet, according to Xbmc... or else I probably would've ordered one by now :P

[D3adcell]

So this thread stays on topic and isn't cluttered when the actual conference comes around I moved all the talk of the new payment plan (2 year contract) to a new thread: http://e-mpire.com/showthread.php/126433-Xbox360-Payment-Plan

[Viper]

So this thread stays on topic and isn't cluttered when the actual conference comes around I moved all the talk of the new payment plan (2 year contract) to a new thread: http://e-mpire.com/showthread.php/126433-Xbox360-Payment-Plan

haha, you beat me to it. I was catching up on the news for the day and starting thinking about this conversation when it dawned on me that it's the MS Conference thread. So I logged on to clean it up. Will be doing the same for the Nintendo conference thread.

[solidsnakejej]

Harry Potter announced for the Kinect, Wonder if it will show up during the conference
(http://www.vg247.com/2012/05/25/warner-bros-announces-harry-potter-for-kinect/)
http://i.imgur.com/eIAEP.gif

[D3adcell]

There was already a harry potter kinect game. But it will probably be the main focus of the show.

[Chris Metal]

Expelliarmus!

[Segitz]

There was already a harry potter kinect game. But it will probably be the main focus of the show.

Having seen Angry Joes and Giantbombs videos about the EA HP Kinect game... I must say, compared to Sorcery (which is in essence the same concept), it's pretty obvious that "retrofitting" these controls never works... so Warner might be able to do something better with it, with a game fully made for Kinect. If it works, we'll see, but I don't know.

[solidsnakejej]

Halo 4 Sneak Peak: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2012-e3-2012/730801

Surprised CoD won't be the first game shown off

[solidsnakejej]

See the future of the Xbox 360 platform live from the Galen Center. Don’t miss the first 10 minutes for the world premiere of HALO 4 campaign, plus FORZA HORIZON, FABLE THE JOURNEY, plus world premieres from Capcom, EA Sports, Harmonix, Tomb Raider from Square-Enix, THQ and Ubisoft. A Grammy Award winning artist also performs.

Why?

[frosty]

How typically Microsoft.

[JasonXe]

i wish all the worst for ms. drop out. Fuckin kinect.

[OmniStalgic]

yeah, I'm a bit biased against them anyway, but really, just like last year, have ZERO interest in their conference. in fact, I think the only reason 360 is still around is because of MS early domination and COD/GEARS/Halo.

1) People who got 360 when PS3 sucked
2) People who prefer the 360 controller (shooter fans really seem to like it)
3) People who enjoy the crisper smoother Xbox Live experience

Those are great accomplishments I guess, but I'm still not convinced 7 years into this generation, that MS game division has passionate drive to innovate and move this medium forward. I know everything revolves around money, but MS could have created a few studios and exclusives by now. But nope, just milk the hell outta COD, hold onto Gears (and probably about to Milk that) and MILK THE HELL OUTTA HALO. Really, I just don't like the association of the platform...lol

And with the success of Kinect they just completely RAN WITH IT! Making it the hold whole focus of the 360 experience cuz that's where new money was coming in from:shrug: Like WTF???!!? It's friggin EyeToy 2.0:huh: Gamers don't wanna play that junk besides a drunken Friday night with some hot chicks that's putting out -_--

[GTAce]

i wish all the worst for ms. drop out. Fuckin kinect.

Was that sarcastic? Surprised to read such a line from you to be honest.

[JasonXe]

half drunk, half real.

Hence why im a pc gamer now.

[BahnNZ]

Although that Ricochet Kinect game was mad fun. :)

If there was a Ricochet 2 I'd get my Kinect out the cupboard.

[D3adcell]

STOP IT WITH THE CASUAL SHIT MICROSOFT! They always pull this shit with having a band or artist, nobody gives a fuck about. This isn't a concert and people don't care. If you have nothing else to show end the show early and let us leave or stop watching.

Fable the Journey is lame and was never a good idea for a game, in fact anything kinect other than dancing is worthless. I just hate the way microsoft had good developers and first party games on the original xbox and picked up steam and now they sold everything off and got rid of everyone but 343 and turn10. They show Halo and Forza at every damn confrence, and usually Gears. Give us something new.

[pari]

The part of the blame should be laid at the doorsteps of Sony and Nintendo, if they both had cleaned up their act I do not think MS would be doing this. Lately xbox focus has been on extending its functionality outside of gaming to conquer the all important TV screen. MS is competing against Apple and Google and xbox is their best bet against those two right now. Xbox has been successful and there is no overwhelming pressure from Sony and Nintendo for MS to change direction. Also the gamers themselves have to bear some of the blame for behaving like sheep... Xbox brand is one of the most successful brand MS has and they have to use it for all its worth... Kinect has been more successful outside of gaming due to DIY crowd and this in turn has given a halo around xbox. So any company in MS position would be doing the same and it is the competitors who have to push them to move forward... Given the state of Sony and Nintendo it is too much to ask... Robbie Bach said that third party companies were actively supporting MS during the initial days to counter Sony and sometime one has to be careful about what they wish... Casual market is going to be disruptor and key players being Apple and Google, MS having to compete against them Xbox is their main weapon to strength the windows phone and window 8 against Apple and Google.. Unless Sony and Nintendo do something disruptive, MS will be going down this route as it has been very successful and provides ammunition against Apple and Google in capturing the almighty TV screen. Apple and Google do not have a good story and TV manufacturers are going even further muddle the casual gaming market...

[Chris Metal]

where can we watch the conference?

[Crazybone126]

The Xbox 360.

[Chris Metal]

oh nevermind then. I don't have one :P

[Crazybone126]

I believe Xbox.com is showcasing it as well.

[solidsnakejej]

Gametrailer all access live:http://www.gametrailers.com/netstorage/e3/live.html
Streams:
G4TV: http://www.g4tv.com/e3-2012/press-conferences/microsoft/131/
GamesRadar/Edge: http://www.edge-online.com/news/microsofts-e3-conference-live-edge
GameSpot: http://e3.gamespot.com/press-conference/microsoft-e3/
IGN: http://www.ign.com/events/e3/2012/live-video

Will also be available over Xbox LIVE.

[D3adcell]

Halo 4 looks interesting. Splinter Cell.... not sure.

---------- Post added at 11:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 AM ----------

DId you hear that guy, Fable the Journey is bold and one of the best games this year.......... what a fucking joke.

---------- Post added at 12:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:54 AM ----------

I hope they fucking burn in a fire after this conference. Worst ever, konami 2010 kicked the shit out of this one.

[Crazybone126]

Really? This really isn't even bad.

[D3adcell]

This is terrible, what are you watching? It's all fucking kinect, entertainment shit/fitness. It's not for gamers. They showed Resident Evil 6 and Tomb Raider, but those are third party games. It's bad, real bad. It's bad because microsoft has nothing new to offer. They had nothing last year, and have nothing this year. This does not make me feel too good about the future of this company, at least as far as the interests of hardcore gamers go.

[Crazybone126]

Personally, I like the entertainment apps, use them quite a bit and I'm quite excited to see the new apps coming. Kinect is rather minimal in this conference to me. They're doing quick 2 min showcases then it's gone. The only thing they should have done without was Usher.

Splinter Cell looked cool, Resident Evil 6 looked awesome, Halo 4 looked great, Tomb Raider looked good as well.

And let's be honest, E3 presentations stopped being about the gamers when in 2007, they decided to reformat it as a business venture. Sure they opened it back to the public and stuff, but it stayed as a conference to grab investors' attention. What's for the gamers when it comes to E3 is the actual exposition with the show-floor demos. The conferences are for shareholders and investors. That's the unfortunate truth now.

[D3adcell]

Those are all 3rd party games and also on PS3 though. Except for Halo. E3 used to be about the games. Even if this is just for the investors, Microsoft has nothing ot offer core gamers. Nothing. They won't announce new franchises anywhere else. They got rid of all their talent. They are doneso for me basically. I will get a few third party multiplayer games on xbox, but I will be doing more gaming on PC and PS3.

[Segitz]

One word... BORING...

Really... it's hard but they managed to even underwhelm my disanticipation... it's really strange^^

[solidsnakejej]

Can't believe they really copied BF3 like that.

[Crazybone126]

Well I guess now Xbox fans know what Nintendo fans were feeling like.

"It's all third party games! It's all casual! Where's the interesting new IP first party games? Nintendo's done for if they don't change!"

Sounds all too familiar to me.

[Segitz]

Nintendo did however show a lot more games... this wasn't about games, it was about watching tv shows on your fucking console...

[masteratt]

SC was SO disappointing, I thought after the cold reception of the last one they'll redesign it back to the roots. Not the case. Really REALLY disappointed. And Tomb Raider as well...Everyone is going the epic cinematic root, losing their own unique touch of what made them them in the first place.


Was hoping to see more Gears but other than that, exactly what I expected pretty much. Looks like they renewed the Blops2 DLC deal as well which is fine by me as for the first time I'll be playing CoD on 360 :D (mw3 doesnt count because i got fed up of it in 2 weeks).

[Crazybone126]

I will agree with that, Segitz.

Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to see much more in the way of games, especially games that are exclusive to Xbox, but oh well.

[masteratt]

Oh and the opening joke by the South Park creators was fantastic :lol: Would be more epic if they didn't run that by MS.

[venomv]

Oh and the opening joke by the South Park creators was fantastic :lol: Would be more epic if they didn't run that by MS.

Yeah, that was good.

[D3adcell]

Oh and the opening joke by the South Park creators was fantastic :lol: Would be more epic if they didn't run that by MS.

Yeah i thought it was kind of funny, making fun of MS at their own conference in a way.

[solidsnakejej]

Gametrailers poll
http://img.imgcake.com/confratingpngen.png

[Domination]

Well I guess now Xbox fans know what Nintendo fans were feeling like.

"It's all third party games! It's all casual! Where's the interesting new IP first party games? Nintendo's done for if they don't change!"

Sounds all too familiar to me.

Ok..... other than smart glass, the web browser, this conference blowed ass. They seem to be surviving on apps and the same ol' shooters year in and year out. I gave this conference a C as they really didnt have anything to really drill it to gamers or devs for that matter. Damn near all the good games or experiences they showed off was and is also for their competitors' systems too.

[solidsnakejej]

Something about this guy
http://h9.abload.de/img/untitled-3jiltw.gif

peter molyneux fist bump
http://h11.abload.de/img/untitled-2nyjrc.gif

[D3adcell]

I can't believe Microsoft had that many employees voting.

[FantasyGhost]

At the beginning they said xbox became from best selling console in US to best selling console of the world?
Any stats on that?

I kinda liked the smartglass and IE feature on TV, if they had firefox or any other browser it'd be way cool. The only problem is you need an xbox 360 for all that, which i don't own :p

[solidsnakejej]

More TV and entertainment. Today, Microsoft announced more than 35 new content partners launching on Xbox over the next 12 months, including:

Absolute Radio –U.K.
Ameba TV – Canada, U.S.
BreakMedia – Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, U.K., U.S.
Comedy Central Stand Up – U.S.
Comoyo – Denmark, Norway, Sweden
Corus Entertainment’s Franklin the Turtle – Canada
GameSpot TV – Australia, Canada, U.K., U.S.
Headweb – Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
Indie Flix – U.S.
Machinima – All Xbox LIVE markets
Napster – Germany, U.K.
Nickelodeon – U.S.
Paramount Movies – U.S.
Picturebox – U.K.
Quickflix – Australia, New Zealand
Rakuten ShowTime – Japan
Revision3 – Canada, U.K., U.S.
Rhapsody – U.S.
RTL XL – Netherlands
Slacker Radio – Canada, U.S.
SnagFilms – U.S.
Terra (Sunday TV) – Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico
The AOL On Network – Australia, Canada, Netherlands, U.K., U.S.
The Weather Channel – U.S.
The Whistle – U.S.
TOU.TV – Canada
TV3 – Spain
Twitch TV – U.S.
Univision – U.S.
Wuaki – Spain
Youzee – Spain
http://majornelson.com/2012/06/04/xbox-makes-entertainment-more-amazing-on-phone-pc-tablet-and-tv/

---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:37 PM ----------

Kojima got a pretty shitty seat
https://p.twimg.com/AukNOnYCQAADnxA.jpg:large

[D3adcell]

They didn't want anyone to think he might be there to talk about games.

[Chris Metal]

his sneaking skills were not up to par this year

[BahnNZ]

Drank half a bottle of booze and passed out, did I miss anything?

Found a full stream of the show for you guys.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VejlMi8XB5c

---------- Post added at 07:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:59 AM ----------

Only joking, here's the real one


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYvQu00t75w

[OmniStalgic]

man, I wasn't expected that reading the press release on the Home menu. I mean, It was a bit annoying reading "X360 is the best place to play your favorite blockbusters" etc etc....but I saw a bunch of new titles on the front page. Were those all Kinect games? Journey, EveryDay Shooter, Stardust and the Pixek Junk Series are some of my most highly rated games on PS3, so I'm not going to count out anything just because they seemed like XBLA games. Was the conference really that bad even with all those new titles I saw on the front page?

[masteratt]

Was that new UI btw, I liked the "Pin to home" feature.


Tomb Raider, SC and RE looked so similar it was ...sad really. All cinematic stuff happens around you while you press a button or two :/

[Crazybone126]

Yes, that was an updated Xbox dashboard. My guess is it'll go public in the Autumn when a lot of those new apps and features come.

PS: Regarding Resident Evil 6: I'm shocked no one has jumped up and said this yet, so I'll take the time to do it. THEY'RE ZOMBIES! ZOMBIES IN AN RE GAME! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?

[solidsnakejej]

Neogaf gifs and pics
http://www.abload.de/img/untitled-1m0zbqeixjd.gif
http://i.imgur.com/53th0.jpg
http://www.abload.de/img/0175_1iumh.gif

[pari]

Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2012/06/04/microsoft-xbox-is-winning-the-living-room-war-heres-why/)


Microsoft Xbox Is Winning The Living Room War. Here's Why.

Cookie Monster wants a snack. Sure, he could have a handful of you-know-whats, but even a Muppet has to watch his waistline. So he decides to grab something healthful. “Maybe if me jump up and down, me can shake fruit out of this tree,” the fuzzy blue monster says to his television viewers. “Okay. Help me jump!”

Muppets have always broken the fourth wall. But for the first time, Cookie can actually tell if kids are responding. When they do, his googly eyes shake wildly and leaves fall from the tree. “Oh boy, oh boy,” Cookie cheers. If the child refuses to budge, he invites his fuchsia friend Telly on-screen to do the jumping instead.

This is Kinect Sesame Street TV, a fully interactive version of the award-winning educational program that goes on sale exclusively for Microsoft’s Xbox game console in September. The Xbox’s Kinect accessory comes with cameras and microphones and can see and hear the kids as they watch and play. “Kids generally learn through play, and this is an opportunity to get them off the couch and involved,” says Terry Fitzpatrick, chief content and distribution officer for Sesame Workshop, which has produced Sesame Street since 1969. “Microsoft recognized the value of it immediately.”

Parents can buy the disc wherever videogames are sold, except to Microsoft this is not a videogame—it’s a TV show you can play. Also on the disc is a version of “Elmo’s World” that films you with the Kinect camera and puts you on-screen with Elmo in real time. It’s fun for kids, but this is a serious salvo in the fight with Sony, Apple, Google and a dozen other players to control your family television. “The living room is very important,” says Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in our interview in a conference room just outside his Redmond, Wash. office. Ballmer, in regulation button-down and khakis, spent 30 minutes just on the future of the Xbox. “It’s a place where there’s a high volume of consumption of digital goods and services. So Xbox is very important.”


In effect, the Xbox is Microsoft’s profitable Trojan Horse. The console’s latest version, the Xbox 360, is the top seller in the U.S. Worldwide, since the 360 debuted in November 2005, customers have snapped up 67 million units, generating $56 billion at retail. Its sales still outgrow those of all other rivals.

Once installed, Microsoft’s real game begins. The Live service has more than 40 million members in 35 countries. Microsoft makes money selling them points they can use to rent videos or download games. An estimated 17 million Live members pay about $50 a year for a Gold membership, which gets them access to Netflix, HBO Go, ESPN and multiplayer gaming.

In May Microsoft effectively stopped treating Live like an add-on for a videogame console and started pricing the console as a loss leader for an entertainment platform. Rather than pay $199 just for the unit, users can now get an Xbox for $99—as long as they also take a two-year contract to Xbox Live Gold. This new low price looks even better when you consider you don’t need to buy a new TV, which is what Samsung and, soon, Apple want you to do. “If you want to start a phenomenon,” says Ballmer, “it doesn’t start with thousand-dollar-plus devices that sell at unreasonably low volume and need major room redesigns.”

NYTimes.com (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/xbox-gives-microsoft-a-head-start-in-the-battle-for-every-screen/)

Given the relentless battles by tech companies to win new smartphone users, you would think that the tiny screen is the only one that matters.


Those battles are part of a larger war for three screens: smartphones, tablets and televisions. The most important facet of these devices won’t be the sharpness of the display or the sleekness of the design — they will, after all, essentially be the same: flat pieces of glass of varying sizes.

What we will want most from these screens is their ability to communicate with one another like a group of gabbing teenagers in the middle of school recess.

Media you will buy or rent online, like e-books, videos, games and music, should be able to flow flawlessly among these devices. Done correctly, you won’t have to do a thing. If your screens are woven together on the same operating system, they will be able to share media by speaking the same language.

Can we already see a winner? You might say Apple because it has popular smartphones, tablets and computers talking to one another. Google is further behind because while smartphones are using its operating system, that’s where it ends


But when it comes to the living room, both companies are losing.

Apple each year sells a few million Apple TV boxes that transmit content to a television. Little wonder executives persist in calling Apple TV “a hobby.” Google’s attempts at television are as flat as the TV hanging on my wall at home.

Surprisingly, it’s the company that has been failing with the smartphone that may be the furthest ahead: Microsoft.

Microsoft has something Apple and Google must envy. It has sold 67 million Xbox 360 video game consoles and has more than 40 million Xbox Live members. According to Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s vice president for corporate communications, video consumption has grown by 140 percent each year on the Xbox since 2008.

Techcrunch.com (http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/04/the-xbox-360-now-a-true-cable-box-killer/)


Best summed by Techcrunch



The Xbox 360, Now A True Cable Box Killer

Microsoft just threw down at E3 2012. After exciting the crowd with Halo and Gears of War titles, the company unveiled new additions to the 360′s vast media offering. Don’t be distracted by the video game trailers: this is Redmond’s biggest news of the show. In fact the new offering could lead to a rival of the cord cutting movement.

The Xbox 360 has nearly always had an impressive suite of media streaming options with Netflix and others. For most households, though, the offering was never enough to replace cable. In fact, it was more of a supplement. But today’s announcement brings a host of new options, stations, and apps to the Xbox 360.

With these new features, the Xbox 360 has finally become Microsoft’s Trojan Horse. The target? Cable companies.



MS got here because they were ready to exploit the opportunity presented to them by Sony and Nintendo... MS has to respond to Apple and Google threat, Xbox is their best answer to that. Now has Xbox been as profitable as rest of the divisions and is Xbox profitable from the inception? Answer might be different but this is the best weapon MS has to neutralize the threat. And hardcore gaming might become a causality to that...

[Crazybone126]

That's what I've been saying lately. The Xbox 360 is definitely getting the "is your cable/satellite provider really worth it" thought going through my head.

[Segitz]

Sure... but they could as well just leave gaming behind... I mean, they obviously don't care for it anymore. And hence don't drag down gaming with them.

[frosty]

There's no might about it, hardcore gaming was killed off on the xbox 2 years ago. That's when the focus went to ditching exclusive content in favor of casual and non-gaming content. Even 3 years ago at e3 "project natal" was all the rage. Xbox is no longer a game console. It's an entertainment system that happens to play games as well. Funny considering how all the Xbots out there used to mock PS3 for the same reason. "Blu-Ray player that sometimes plays games"...

Now all MS cares to do with Xbox games is rely on third party multiplatform games to keep the ship afloat. Case in point, their grand finale is a game I'll be enjoying on my Ps3. Actually, I won't be since COD sucks now, but you get the point.

"Will this "trojan horse" thing work?" is the question that comes to mind. It's not like this entertainment stuff is anything that is new to XBL or even PSN. They've added to it, but in either case it never really pushed the platform. MLBTV and such never sold Ps3's or Xboxes. If people really want to ditch their cable box, netflix and similar services is the only real threat to that, not xbox. Xbox requires a console, netflix/etc work on my phone.

[KRA]

http://i.minus.com/iDyVSLMYJDLeY.gif

http://i.minus.com/ibnk8He7VXVJmk.gif

neogaf ofcourse.

[D3adcell]

Well now the roles are reversed and PS3 has games, xbox has apps.

[Gribble-Grunger]

At the beginning they said xbox became from best selling console in US to best selling console of the world?
Any stats on that?

I kinda liked the smartglass and IE feature on TV, if they had firefox or any other browser it'd be way cool. The only problem is you need an xbox 360 for all that, which i don't own :p

yeah, you probably heard me laughing

[BahnNZ]

Just watched the Microsoft conference. What they did to Nintendo with this one is similar to what they did to Sony in conferences past. They did it to Sony by stealing all their exclusives. This conference they gutted Wii U like a fugu fish. Smart glass + real hardcore gaming (Halo 4, BF3, Blop2s, etc) and all those dancing and jumping around games kiddie winks like really destroyed any chance Nintendo had.

Since their guns were pointed at one of my least favorite companies instead of one of my favorites it hurts much less. A company based around pushing last generation hardware and network services.

The XBox interface with Kinect voice commands looks like something out of the future, Wii U I suspect will not look as up to date.

It's the same old Microsoft who refuse to invest in exclusives, don't see me switching from my PS3/PC combo any time soon, but yeah, looking good. I understand why the 360 fans love their console so much.

[JasonXe]

Just Die.

Halo 4. Death everywhere else.

[BahnNZ]

Halo 4 proves what people have been saying all these years, Bungie can't code their way out of a paper bag.

[frosty]

I don't see smartglass as any threat to Nintendo. Not many people will want to bother hooking their phones up just to see a detailed map of a ship in a game or some crap like that. It may find use among sports fans for calling plays, but there is no information as to what the limitations of smartglass are. How many devices does it support at once?

That said, I don't see Nintendo being a threat to anyone else either. Vita is more of a threat than smartglass IMO, it's integration with PS3 and remote play are far more capable than the phone in my pocket or any tablet. It's design is also more well suited for being a companion device to a game console.

[Crazybone126]

It's not even developed by Bungie, though?

Unless you're saying 343 changed the formula so much compared to what Bungie ever did. I'd agree with that. Bungie practically gave up on the series. Was the same thing over and over again with nothing new ever added.

---------- Post added at 05:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:47 PM ----------


I don't see smartglass as any threat to Nintendo. Not many people will want to bother hooking their phones up just to see a detailed map of a ship in a game or some crap like that. It may find use among sports fans for calling plays, but there is no information as to what the limitations of smartglass are. How many devices does it support at once?

That said, I don't see Nintendo being a threat to anyone else either. Vita is more of a threat than smartglass IMO, it's integration with PS3 and remote play are far more capable than the phone in my pocket or any tablet. It's design is also more well suited for being a companion device to a game console.

Trey Parker put it best. No one really cares about hooking their phone up to the whole damn house. That's just NOT what people want.

And Bahn. You see pretty adamant with the notion behind what ANONYMOUS people are saying about the Wii U when public developers are saying everything contrary. Whoever said Wii U had tech that can easily be compared to PS3 and 360. No one's pushing that idea but you. Crytek is saying the contrary, Gearbox is saying the contrary, Valve is saying the contrary, Epic is saying the contrary. Everyone.

[BahnNZ]

I know it's not being developed by Bungie, hence the minute they're not involved it starts to look good.

Smartglass supports everything. iOS/Win8/Android, how many at once is a good question. Can 4, 8 or even 16 people use their tablets for Wii U functionality now?

Wii U's selling point, whole existence for being is it's tablet based TV gaming. This is a direct threat. Wii Us main competitor is XBox 360.

Smartglass is very impressive. If they can do this on Vita that would be better, but they haven't done it yet.

---------- Post added at 09:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:53 AM ----------

Quick google

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30259


The visuals won't change, but the controller will play a big role.

Vigil, developer of the upcoming Darksiders II, says the graphics of Wii U version of the sequel are on par with those of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

I mean come on now. On par? It's a current generation console. With one difference, you can play games in conjunction with a tablet.

[Crazybone126]

"the graphics of the Wii U VERSION of the SEQUEL are on par with those of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game."

How are you reading that as something to do with the console itself? You keep throwing this quote around and deconstructing what it's actually saying.

It's quite clear he's saying "Yeah, the Wii U version is just a port of the Xbox 360 and PS3 version, it's not going to look any different from those two versions since, ya know, it's just a port, but we are utilizing the Wii U's controller."

I think everyone here can agree. You're seeing into things that aren't even there.

[BahnNZ]

ON PAR? Not even the best looking version! ON PAR!

And another developer

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30398


Cozzens hinted at the Wii U's technical power, saying "it will be one of the best looking versions of the game."


Not... The best console version, but: "One of the best looking". If it's a next generation console like PS4/XBox 720 shouldn't it burn destroy and murder the current generation consoles?

Talk about measured praise.

Imagine if PS2 was about to come out and people were saying about it's games "This game we're bringing out, it's on par with the PS1/N64 and Saturn versions".

20 million consoles tops.

[Crazybone126]

So Aliens isn't on PC?

Of course Wii U isn't going to be the best looking version when there's a PC version as well. PC will ALWAYS look better than a console. No matter the console. I'll reiterate, you're seeing into things that aren't even there.

[BahnNZ]

If it was the best looking console version, they'd say. Measured praise for a current generation console. One who's main selling point has just evaporated. When Wii U comes out with ad campaigns saying "Now you can play games on your TV using as tablet", people will look up from their Smartglass and say:"So what?"


Read this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jun/04/nintendo-wii-u-new-console?newsfeed=true


For some the fight is already over. Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said the "addressable market" for the Wii U is only half of the market size that existed for the Wii. Since that launch, Apple has sold 67m iPads and is expected to sell north of 116m iPhones this year. Add to that the host of other tablets and smartphones snapping at Apple's heels.

Gaming dominates the apps charts for iPad and its rivals. "Once they moved on, they are not likely to come back," Pachter told a marketing summit in San Francisco earlier this year.

Something is certainly hurting Nintendo. In April the company announced its first ever operating loss, with a deficit of ¥37.3bn, or $460m. Sales had slid hard, the company said. Nintendo had expected to sell 13m Wii consoles and ended up selling 9.8m. Sales of its new handheld device – the 3DS – also disappointed.


Written before Smartglass. Much worse outlook now. You keep the faith this is a next gen console here to compete with PS4 and XBox720 brother, that's going to sell in Wii quantities. I think time will tell.

Four words: Watch the share price.

Now if you excuse me, I must watch Dead Space 3 while fondling myself.

[Diresu]

God that press event was PAINFUL.

[OmniStalgic]

ok...that was pretty bad...not that what was showed was that bad, some of the stuff is pretty cool, but they were showing it like it was brand new tech worldwide? I get for gamers this is all new stuff for Xbox, but can't you do all that swiping images to your TV right now with an Ipad? I'm sure a lot of that technology is accessible right now by linking up with the Apple ecosystem, so I kinda loathed how the conference was presented.

Also, it's like MS conference is the 3rd party conference, you know none of these games are exclusives, yet MS puts some insignificant spin on things to make it seem like the best place to play these games. It all just feels really awkward.

Either way, I like integrating your console into tablets and cellphones and software that binds everything together, but all of these features would have been much more appreciated after the reveal of 4-5 more exclusive titles besides Halo. I almost got offended when they said they were the top selling console in the world, (seriously misleading btw) because I feel it's almost a disserve to the essence of gaming to support this as your main platform. They have completely moved away from the spirit of games, games, and more games, and I sometimes forget how awesome Xbox Live is. MS did contribute to the industry, but in a more social, software specific way that most times--I just don't really care about that much.

It wasn't annoying like last year with Kinect nonsense, but it was just really boring, and even the 3rd party titles showed all look similar, everything has to be Uncharted big blockbuster style where you press one button and an entire sequences of events happen. I sincerely hope people stop buying this stuff, because MS's philosphy needs to do a 360. And to think, I was actually pondering over getting a Windows Phone :nono: They are simply trying to outdo Apple with a Xbox branded ecosystem. I would not have a problem with that if gaming was the focus, but not according to this lineup it isn't.

Conference rating C-

[pari]

Smartglass is copycat of Airplay and wishing Nintendo go down is really bad. Nintendo has brought lots of innovation to gaming industry and they might not be servicing the hardcore gamer but Nintendo being replaced by MS is very bad. "Known devils is better than unknown Angel" and applies really well in this situation.

Engadget.com (http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/microsofts-smart-glass-gets-official-app-brings-airplay-esque/)


Microsoft's SmartGlass gets official: app brings AirPlay-esque streams to Android, iOS and Windows Phone
Microsoft may not be introducing a next-gen console at E3 this year, but it is teaching its venerable Xbox 360 some new tricks. SmartGlass brings AirPlay-style wireless technology to Xbox and Windows 8 by letting you send video from your tablet or phone to your TV. It then turns that second screen into an information window giving you data of the content you're watching. Plus, it updates the info on your mobile device as the content on the TV changes. The app also enables peripheral controls for games you're playing -- so you can scroll through different plays on your tablet while playing Madden on your big screen, for example.

In addition to providing your peripherals with contextual awareness, the SmartGlass app turns your phone into a remote and trackpad for your Xbox, in case using Kinect and regular controllers aren't something you're into. So, you can pinch to zoom, move the onscreen cursor and scroll to your heart's content in Xbox's new web browser using your tablet or phone. When will we be seeing SmartGlass in living rooms? Unfortunately, not until this fall, so our liveblog photos of the app in action will have to suffice until then.

And on copycat, nice article

Inc.com (http://www.inc.com/magazine/201206/max-chafkin/oliver-samwer-european-king-of-the-company-cloners.html)


The Billion-Dollar Idea came to Arne Bleckwenn suddenly and all at once:

What if travelers could use the Internet to book rooms in apartments just as easily as they could book rooms in hotels? What if there were a website that let people anywhere in the world rent out an apartment, a spare bedroom—hell, even an air mattress? Travelers would get a good deal, cash-strapped people with extra space could make a few extra bucks, and the $400 billion-per-year hotel industry would bleed money.

It was wacky, but somehow Bleckwenn knew it would work. He figured this new company could disrupt the hotel market the way eBay had disrupted the world of retail. He decided to give it a try.

Bleckwenn was just 28 at the time of his vision, but he was already an old hand at starting companies. He created an online forum for video game enthusiasts at 17 and turned it into a business at 19. "While everybody else I knew was partying, I hired people and got funding," he tells me over coffee in his offices. "That's when I decided this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life." Since graduating from college, he had earned an M.B.A. and started two more companies—the most recent of which, GratisPay, he sold to a competitor for a seven-figure sum in February 2010.

By then, he was ready for something bigger, the kind of consumer-facing company he could brag to his friends about. He had been a backpacker all his adult life and liked the idea of helping independent travelers find places to crash. Plus, the economics of the business looked great. "In New York, you can stay at the W for $400 a night," he says. "Or you can stay in someone's apartment for $100. That's one-fourth the price. And the inventory of apartments is unlimited." Over the course of two months, he raised some seed capital and used it to build a slick website.

When I visit the company in March, just 11 months after its founding, Bleckwenn has 350 employees and is in the throes of wild growth. He expects to bring in $130 million in revenue this year. "When my last company went from zero to 80 employees, I thought it was the craziest thing that would ever happen to me," he says. "But this has been on a completely different level."

P erhaps this story sounds familiar. An ambitious twentysomething dreams up an Internet company, corrals some investors, and attracts customers by the millions. You might even think you've heard of Bleckwenn's company, which happens to sound an awful lot like Airbnb. That San Francisco company, which also lets anyone turn his apartment into his personal hotel, was created in 2007. The company's founders struggled to pay the bills before finally landing $20,000 in funding from Y Combinator. Last year, Airbnb surpassed 100,000 room listings, was hailed as the star of the annual South by Southwest Interactive conference, and picked up $112 million in venture capital funding.

But Bleckwenn isn't the founder of Airbnb—and though the story he tells me is true, it leaves out a crucial detail: The Billion-Dollar Idea was not his own. In founding his Berlin-based company, Wimdu, Bleckwenn reverse-engineered Airbnb's basic functions while borrowing liberally from its U.S. competitor's graphic design. He and his co-founder, Hinrich Dreiling, used a nearly identical page layout and a similar logo to Airbnb's. The bottom of Airbnb's page, which proudly proclaimed the company's press mentions in The New York Times and on CNN, could of course not be directly copied, because Wimdu had yet to be featured in any international media outlets. So Bleckwenn tweaked the wording—from as seen on to concept featured on—and left the logos in place.

In two months, Bleckwenn and his team reproduced what it had taken Airbnb's founders four years to create. They did it calmly and quickly, and they did it well. "It's just competition," Bleckwenn says. "Of course, Airbnb is unhappy."

And a nice book on copycats Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Copycats-Smart-Companies-Imitation-Strategic/dp/1422126730/)

If Nintendo and Sony cannot out think or get inspired (i.e., copycat-ing) then it justifies Nintendo and Sony going down but the question is who will replace them. I for sure certainly do want it to MS dominated industry it will be disastrous for the gamers. But again in the world of $1.99 games how do you make consoles and sell them? I want healthy competition in the gaming console with MS not being the first. MS is good for giving competition but not for top dog position.

---------- Post added at 11:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:43 PM ----------


ok...that was pretty bad...not that what was showed was that bad, some of the stuff is pretty cool, but they were showing it like it was brand new tech worldwide? I get for gamers this is all new stuff for Xbox, but can't you do all that swiping images to your TV right now with an Ipad? I'm sure a lot of that technology is accessible right now by linking up with the Apple ecosystem, so I kinda loathed how the conference was presented.

Also, it's like MS conference is the 3rd party conference, you know none of these games are exclusives, yet MS puts some insignificant spin on things to make it seem like the best place to play these games. It all just feels really awkward.

Either way, I like integrating your console into tablets and cellphones and software that binds everything together, but all of these features would have been much more appreciated after the reveal of 4-5 more exclusive titles besides Halo. I almost got offended when they said they were the top selling console in the world, (seriously misleading btw) because I feel it's almost a disserve to the essence of gaming to support this as your main platform. They have completely moved away from the spirit of games, games, and more games, and I sometimes forget how awesome Xbox Live is. MS did contribute to the industry, but in a more social, software specific way that most times--I just don't really care about that much.

It wasn't annoying like last year with Kinect nonsense, but it was just really boring, and even the 3rd party titles showed all look similar, everything has to be Uncharted big blockbuster style where you press one button and an entire sequences of events happen. I sincerely hope people stop buying this stuff, because MS's philosphy needs to do a 360. And to think, I was actually pondering over getting a Windows Phone :nono: They are simply trying to outdo Apple with a Xbox branded ecosystem. I would not have a problem with that if gaming was the focus, but not according to this lineup it isn't.

Conference rating C-

Omni, please no Windows Phone. I do not believe MS deserves another chance, let the old tree die and new trees take it place just like in Nature.

[BahnNZ]

ENGADGET: "Xbox SmartGlass: did Microsoft just render the Wii U controller obsolete?"


Yep, Nintendo was just beat at its own game. Where the original Wii's innovative gameplay saw competitors playing catch-up with their own motion controllers, Microsoft has introduced an added feature to its existing platform that will go head-to-head with the Wii U at launch.

Not only is Microsoft promising to take the Wii U on directly with SmartGlass, it's doing so with a much more logical implementation, harnessing players' existing technology, rather than bringing a big, hefty new controller into the picture.

Microsoft has just thrown up a major roadblock so far as buzz around the Wii U is concerned.

We already knew that the company would have a hard road to hoe at this year's E3 -- with the introduction of SmartGlass, that road just got a lot harder.


Don't wish them to go down, Super Mario Galaxy is well nice.

[Diresu]

I couldn't care less about any of the smart glass stuff. If I wanted to use my iPad I would use my iPad. I don't need yet another pointless accessory for my Xbox.

[Crazybone126]

Exactly.

[gibmonster]

I was watching bits and pieces of the conference last night as I wanted to see pre-conference gameplay footage of Injustice: Gods Among Us. I saw a bit of splinter cell, trying to find a better quality stream on my phone I returned with some dude from Nike speaking. That and the 'Press a button or two" and the game will play itself feature of splinter cell just made me call it a night. Looking at a number of news sites this morning, I didn't miss much.

Smart glass is interesting, but even if I had a 360 it's something I couldn't be bothered to use.

I fear this will be a boring E3. Even if Sony show off Killzone 4 I wouldn't care. The last game was a horrible "me too" COD clone, with dumbing down of gameplay using more scripted events and butchering the gunplay, physics and animation in favour of Move and 3D. What a piece of shit. They'd have to make it really hardcore for me to be interested again.

I have no interest in Nintendo, but they'll probably have the berst conference due to showing new hardware, but that doesn't mean I'll buy it though. Their control pads don't look ergonomic with the placement of analogue sticks. It's if they made it different for the sake of it. And I'm not interested in their first party titles. I have a pc with a GTX670 to tide me over until I see something worthwhile.

I'm disappointed with the way gaming is heading. Game's are being dumbed down. All this emphasis on social networks and device integration just feels like they're looking for problems to solve to make you buy more shit, rather than solving problems that exist. Which wouldn't be bad if this stuff was tastefully added on without pissing off the core, but they just haven't managed that yet. Cut it with the fucking gimmicks! Just give me a pad and a game with excellent design and A.I. It's sad that not many games use AI on the level of crysis and killzone with many devs still relying on scripted AI.

I foresee games becoming segmented and distilled at the same time, with PC coming out on top for the hardcore.

[Viper]

So BanNZ, you intend to hold an X360 controller and an iPad at the same time to play a game? You enjoy that, ok?


That was indeed a pretty rough conference. Seems like all 3 console makers have done 2 duds of a conference in a row at some point in the the last 6 years. Now that they've all got that out of their system, let's hope they never do that again.

[Diresu]

So BanNZ, you intend to hold an X360 controller and an iPad at the same time to play a game? You enjoy that, ok?


That was indeed a pretty rough conference. Seems like all 3 console makers have done 2 duds of a conference in a row at some point in the the last 6 years. Now that they've all got that out of their system, let's hope they never do that again.

Pretty much what I was thinking.

[solidsnakejej]

http://i.minus.com/i0bpw9cR60DTK.gif