Yep. And that's what this thread is pretty much saying. It's a terrible idea and hopefully MS isn't that stupid.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
EDGE: The next Xbox: Always online, no second-hand games, 50GB Blu-ray and new kinect
- Thread starter Hanmik
- Start date
Yep. And that's what this thread is pretty much saying. It's a terrible idea and hopefully MS isn't that stupid.
I'm not say that MS are abandoning gamers. Of course they're not. Games will still play an important part in the next Xbox, just not the most important part. Traditional gamers will not be the primary audience that the Xbox is marketed and aimed at, and MS look to be willing to exclude a subset of core gamers (offline, used game buyers) in order generate revenue from other types of consumers.
Edit:
Wot he said.
Glorified G
Member
Xbox Live have 46 million members, so there is possibly 30 million 360 owners who are not connected to the internet. We don't know why that is. Maybe because they can't get an internet connection, but it's possible that there is a large number of owners out there that simply don't connect online simply because they don't need to.
Why do you need to connect online play Just Dance for example. Put the disc in, play with your friends, you're good to go.
I think all this bullshit is an effort for ms to get people in their ecosystem. They made a killing off xbox live gold this gen and they probably believe there is a good number of potential subscribers out there that they could get. If they could get these people online at least they'll see ads of "XBL Gold for only a $1" and have better potential of growing there subscribing userbase.
It makes sense, at least to me.
Ding ding ding!
This guy gets it. Forcing all consumers to be online ensures they all have access to, and will potentially be buyers of, the other digital software and streaming services.
Silly.Mikey
Banned
46 million live subscribers and what, 75 million consoles sold? Thats 29 million people not buying an xbox.
Roughly, yes. We don't know how many people have multiple accounts to one console, or how many people have bought multiple consoles (or used consoles). But those might balance each other out.
Silly.Mikey
Banned
I think the theory is that once they are connected, it will be easier to tempt them.
Silly.Mikey
Banned
To buy a ps4? Absolutely.
bgassassin
Member
You should through that certainty out the window.
Goldenroad
Member
Core gamers are the only ones I can think of that would for sure have an internet connection. This kind of always-online policy does not negatively affect how many gamers will buy their console, it only effects non-gamers and people who might not use it to play games or use other online functionality that the system offers (ie. only need a bluray player, c.d. player, cable box, etc).
Your argument that the system is not for "core gamers" flies in the face of the always online thing.
Regardless...I think all it means is that the system CAN always be online, not that it must.
I don't think it will be always online, but I'm sure they could afford to make it online only, I bet they have solid figures that suggest that gamers connected to live spend X more than gamers who aren't.
Combine that with having a more profitable model without used sales to interfere with the price of new stock and instantly the choice to make the bold move of going online only a very sensible decision for the industry.
Combine that with having a more profitable model without used sales to interfere with the price of new stock and instantly the choice to make the bold move of going online only a very sensible decision for the industry.
Barkley's Justice
Member
Insane Metal
Member
Silly.Mikey
Banned
I understand what hes trying to say taking it from MSs point of view, but imo, it doesn't make any sense at all. Sure in the perfect world, that's amazing for MS. But in reality, you have a console right now that already shares 95% of the same library of games as Playstation, both have very similar services and apps, xbox wont have bluray movie functionality apparently, sony has a much better first party and will probably allow for an offline mode....Tell me, who in his right mind would choose an xbox over another product like ps4 that is practically identical in every way, historically better HW, better first party, improving online and ultimately with an offline mode that allows for less headaches? Who would buy that? Im an xbox guy and i wouldn't even buy that shit.
Where's the rumors the next Xbox won't support blu-rays? Those players ARE cheap now admittedly, but as something that wants to be a media hub that's a huge, HUGE black mark against it. It's like you're trying to build the greatest kitchen in the world, only to not put in an oven, figuring you can just use a MICROWAVE instead or something stupid.
I bought an XBOX 360 in 2007 just after Christmas. Live was down for an entire week. Can you imagine if nobody could play any games at all the week after Christmas? It would be catastrophically bad.
Personally I don't care if the POTUS said it a rumor is a rumor and that goes for every rumor said about the Xbox and Playstation.
That's not forcing consumers. That's just giving consumers some incentives to go online. MS are now being far more aggressive by mandating online, rather than just offering it.
We're probably DECADES from the point internet can be as reliable as electricity or water. A decade at best. In any case always online NOW for an entire platform that isn't dedicated purely to streaming anyway is a bad idea.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
people act like this is something they can't imagine but I bought diablo 3 at launch and I couldn't play that fucking shit for about a week because of its always online drm. Servers were getting hammered. Couldn't even play alone...single player....yep.
Hardly. Having broadband is now like having a mobile phone, or a cable subscription. My family have broadband, all my colleagues have broadband, their families have broadband. None of them are gamers. They do all use social media, stream / download movies and music etc - the other types of services MS want revenue from.
The reality is now that your parents are as much of a demographic for MS and the Xbox as you are.
Proelite
Member
Maybe you'll need an online connection only when you're installing games. Otherwise, I don't see how they can keep track of multiple installs on different boxes without some easily hackable physical feature on discs.
Deadly Joker
Member
bgassassin
Member
Well as of now I don't know if there's anything in place for internet issues and the like or if MS is listening to complaints, but as it stands I can say with 100% confidence the console needs to be online to play a game.
Yeah...good times.
Proelite
Member
Bookmarked.
GoofsterStud
Member
If Sony doesn't require an always on internet connection. I will only have a PC and PS4 this round. If they both require always on internet connection.. I will do a wait and see and hope it doesn't stick. Then decide after the first price cut.
:-/
:-/
scar tissue
Banned
Where do you gain this knowledge from?
And I can see it, there are already some things you can't do if you're not connected to live, so this is the obvious next step to take.
It's also why I'm distrustful about Diablo III's sales meaning that consumers on a whole are ready for this, especially with the drop offs they've apparently had. It may well be that Diablo III's launch actually set back willingness to go always online by quite a bit as people had issues with it.
XtremeXpider
Member
Why all must be black or white? c'mon, the "next Xbox is not a game machine anymore" statement is so negative that looks more like a "troll" statement to me. The same for any negativity news about PS4 (is there any negative news for PS4?).
Silly.Mikey
Banned
Yeah? Well coming from an Xbox Live 10 year member (and beta tester) like me, you'd be surprised.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Are you confirming this as well, like AndyH, or is this speculation?
MS is losing a lot of things..,
If anyone says that, they are trolling.
Saying the the next Xbox will no longer focus on games is just an accurate statement, based on understanding MS and all the sources/rumours.
The next Xbox will be an all purpose digital entertainment device that also plays games.
The voices coming from his closet... lol
Oh boy...
-Pyromaniac-
Member
BG doesn't post much these days so if he is saying that, I'm pretty sure he is SAYING that.
Goldenroad
Member
XtremeXpider
Member
I'm pretty confident that we all understand that he did in fact say that...
However there is no real evidence to back up his claims....
As pretty much everyone on this board knows that even if what he says is true now doesn't mean it'll be true in the final product.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
Wasn't always like that. I'd say their strategy shifted midway through the generation, or thereabouts. Microsoft isn't an enigma. I'm positive they'll do the EXACT same thing next gen they did this gen. They will spend money, they will get exclusives, they will try to get the gamers in by the bunches early on. But a few years later they'll shift back to services while only maintaining a core few IPs of their own, and let 3rd party multiplat games handle the rest.
They have no reason to do a different strategy. It worked once. This time though the question is are they overreaching? Will people care? I guess that's the mystery.
Do you have any information that contradicts this?
Uno Venova
Banned
Don't know why your telling me this.
Do you have any information that proves it?
Argument from ignorance proves nothing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_ignorance