Eurogamer: Microsoft defends NUads (Kinect enabled ads on Xbox dashboard)
- Thread starter Neuromancer
- Start date
Pimpbaa
Member
surly said:
A fully featured service would not be using peer to peer matchmaking. Would you be happy if someone stole £30 from you every year? No. You are paying for nothing. Their ads alone would be enough to cover the supposed superior features they offer. Even if they did have dedicated servers it would be a rip off. MS is charging you because you let them get away with it, they are showing ads because you let them get away with it. Stop paying for stuff that was free long before the 360 came out. You are screwing over yourself and every other console gamer.
Diffense said:Microsoft.Taints.Everything.
It buys things in order to bring them under its authoritative control.
The company's ability to gain authority through authorship/creation of useful things is actually more limited than you might suspect.
This goes back back to the Microsoft's earliest history if anyone has ever read about it.
Microsoft is however very skilled at putting systems in place to eastablish consistent monetary streams for itself.
[It should definitely be paid XBox live account or ads not both]
It is a masterfully manipulative business. When you, as a customer, gets locked into Microsoft, lie in the bed you made.
And no, I no longer run Windows except in a Virtual Machine when it is absolutely necessary because of someone else's lack of foresight.
(Hint to web designers: don't require Windows specific technologies to view websites.
It entirely counters the interoperability goals of the internet. Use equaivalent open standards).
/End soapbox.
Enjoy your ads.
Reading this post is like taking a trip to the 90s. Microsoft history and anti trust are examples of what happens when you're too successful. Ie, groups of other companies go running to the government, crying about unfair practices. MS did some crappy things, but no more than most other companies from this period. Apple and Google are more like Microsoft was in the 80s and 90s than Microsoft was.
I get the MS hate, but it's mostly unfounded in this century. There are too many other options for people to hate what they do. Windows doesn't suck now, and the Xbox is pretty great. So is MS research, MS Surface, and Even the Windows Phone is pretty awesome. Holy shit, even IE works up to the standards of other browsers.
Ads SUCK. I don't like them. But I don't even notice them on the Dashboard, and my guess is that these new ads won't bug me because I won't click on them. This whole thread is an overreaction.
José Mourinho
cocknose
Whilst no ads would be preferable. I personally never find they intrude.
StudioTan
Hold on, friend! I'd love to share with you some swell news about the Windows 8 Metro UI! Wait, where are you going?
Neuromancer said:
To be fair that video is not targeted at consumers, it's a video for advertisers and marketing people. It's certainly not meant to convince users how cool these ad features will be.
CountAntonius
Member
You know what amazes me is how they make Microsoft to be so bad about these ads when what steam did years ago with cs 1.6 was much worse. In game ads on the menu and on billboards for a game you paid for. The only reason they haven't done that with other games is cause in game ads wee never as profitable as they once though they could be(see Quake Live). It really isn't that big a deal at all. When I have to sit through and ad during a game or when a game begins on par with commercials then we will have problems. As of now it's easily ignored and un-intrusive.
This is such a shiity attitude I hope you have never bought TF2 hats...
Pimpbaa said:
This is such a shiity attitude I hope you have never bought TF2 hats...
Stop being so fucking patronising. I've been gaming longer than the majority of people on this site. I started with a "TV game" about 30 years ago and have either owned or played on pretty much every console ever released, as well as owning gaming PCs. Implying that anyone that pays for Xbox Live is some n00b casual gamer is bullshit. I'm free to spend my money how I like. If I didn't see value in the service, I wouldn't pay for it. End of story.Pimpbaa said:
Maleficence
Member
Pimpbaa said:
And people were calling me condescending!
I'm fine with being condescending at this point, I do consider it a stupid decision to pay for something that should by all intents and purposes be free. There is no sound argument as to why XBL should be a paid for subscription service.
The arguments about features not on PSN are devoid due to Steam being free alone. The platform is irrelevant because steam demonstrates that a service just as fully featured, and which evolves at a faster rate can be done for free.
Frankly I'm amazed that people defend the price. I wouldn't mind if people accepted they didn't like it but paid for it cause their options were limited or whatever but to try and say that the price is in any way objectively justified is ridiculous to me.
Edit - Bringing CS 1.6 ads into this is ludicrous. In game ads and service ads are a completely separate matter. Also steam has never charged for the service alone therefore the comparison is void.
Maleficence
Member
Zeliard said:
I would love to see how many people would still be willing to pay for gold if they could play games online with Silver. You know, as it should be.
CountAntonius
Member
To me it boils down to this. Is it worth the 30(Never paid full price) I pay a year to play on live with friends, use netflix and have access to xbla? Absolutely. Do I wish it was free? Sure. Is steam a better package overall? Yes(For PC). Do I care enough about gaming ethics to rob myself of the experiences I have had with friends over live for years because of such a small amount of money? Hell no.
Maleficence
Member
surly said:
So because they initially sold their console for a loss they're now allowed, in your mind, to charge you a yearly subscription for something which should be free? How much since the 360 launched have you paid for the privilege of being able to take advantage of the whole of a game you've also already paid in full for?
Pimpbaa
Member
surly said:
I'll stop being so fucking patronizing when people like you stop bending over for MS and allowing it to be acceptable. There is no doubt in my mind Sony will be doing this next gen too, because they known suckers will swallow this tripe. Also, I'm not innocent of this either. I did pay for a couple years of xbox live (the only way to fucking play online), paid for some shitty DLC. And I was an idiot for doing so. But I stopped, got rid of my 360. Never again.
Maleficence said:
They wouldn't. Some would only pay if it started offering additional benefits, ala Playstation Plus, with free games and weekly discounts and such.
God only knows the road Sony will go with online play with PS4. Nobody should be surprised if PS+ at that point includes online play, and essentially mirrors Xbox Live's pricing model since it has shown to be not only viable, but lucrative. Sony has to have been kicking themselves this entire gen for not doing so off the bat. Plenty of people would have clearly paid for it.
dragonelite
Member
ARXIN said:
Live is pocket change unless your dirt poor or your standard or of a different time period.
Haven't really used steam social feeds no wonder non of my friends are pc gamers
.But i can still remember a time where i we had to use ventrillo servers for voice chatting those things costed money too(hosting servers self cost money too). Or people had to lay down money to host servers. Everybody is acting like pc gaming is free but there are a lot of cost most gamers dont pay for and generous people do pay for it. Im pretty sure it also like that on pc now. How much is a 32 player server $7.50/month?
CountAntonius
Member
Yeah let me get all my friends and family to build gaming pc's. Get then entire fighting game community to embrace pc gaming as well.Pimpbaa said:
Maybe we should all move to ps3 where we can't party chat.
Don't take it so personal bro. It's my money I'll spend it where I want. That doesn't make me an idiot. I'm guilty for killing the industry as much as people buying tf2 hats.
I have enjoyed steam since it's inception. I have played xbox live since day one. They have both done things I dislike but neither is ruined nor not worth it's price in my eyes.
Phonomezer said:
Exactly.statham said:
There usually 1..maybe 2 tops ads, per section and between things related to the section you're on the dashboard.
The ads only play when you:
1. Click on it, or...
2. You're navigating and stay on the actual ad.
Both can be easily skipped, by just navigating to the next option, which is done by just pressing up, down, left, or right.
And if some are so obsessed by those 5 ads that are through the dashboard, that the mere though of those 5 ads been there pisses them off... there are other options like: launch to a disc, or launch the console offline and connect to Xbox Live once in a game.
On top of that, while in game, you can choose any other game you have stored in the HDD, navigate through your last played games and even shut down the console. Or if you really need to go back to the dashboard, and still don't want to..."feel those 5 ads" (because you're not going to see them anyway), then sign-out of Xbox Live in-game and head back to the dashboard.
NuAds only adds that when you actually click on one of those..5 ads, you get options to share them with others.
But, some act as if in Xbox Live you're interrupted every few seconds with a full screen Burger King ad, and then before launch a game you're greeted with another 30 seconds clip of Coca Cola.
And then, I'm the stupid one because I pay for Xbox Live.
Maleficence
Member
What has steam done that you've disliked?
Not: steam =/= TF2
Not: steam =/= TF2
They can do what they like. Thankfully, you're free not to pay for it, as am I.Maleficence said:
Maybe £120-£150 over 4-5 years.Maleficence said:
I'll spend my money on what I like, thanks. Why do you have "official forum cocksucker" written under your name? It's not because of your shitty attitude by any chance is it?Pimpbaa said:
fernoca said:
If they keep going down this road, the above could be a strong possibility. They're certainly not planning on toning it down, that's for sure. Still, it's funny to see some people trying their damndest to spin it into a non-issue.
Y2Kev said:
The popular defenses are:
1. "I don't even notice them" - basically, complacency
2. "It'll go towards funding new things!" - yes, because MS are known for their altruism...it's more likely to fund coke and strippers
dragonelite
Member
Y2Kev said:
Dont know i think it now more a moral debate on pay for live or not to pat for live.
CountAntonius
Member
When I needed to install steam to play a single player(HL2) game and connect online. Plenty of people weren't happy.Maleficence said:
When they chose to stick in game ads to cs 1.6 Plenty of people weren't happy.
When they chose to turn tf2 into a hat fueled farm frenzy and microtransaction fest. Many people weren't happy.
It happens. Didn't ruin my day, didn't stop me from playing games I enjoy(well the hl2 thing did for a bit)
But Microsoft is not the only guilty party here. Yet I think people give them extra shit because it's a console.
fernoca said:
My point is, they're dipping their toes in the water. They want to find every opportunity they can to monetize the console. Looking at it objectively, it's more likely to get worse than better. By supporting, or turning a blind eye to this, you're only doing your part towards enabling that kind of practice.
Maleficence
Member
surly said:
So you're happy having paid the price of about 4 brand new games or a new console for the ability to play your games online?
Paying that price for something which should be free is ridiculous to me.
Apparently not to all though, I guess if you're happy we'll just have to agree to disagree.
StudioTan
Hold on, friend! I'd love to share with you some swell news about the Windows 8 Metro UI! Wait, where are you going?
Pimpbaa said:
Awesome, a born again gamer. If only we could spend a few together on a bus so you could tell me about all the things I'm doing wrong with my life while feeling insulted that not everyone has seen the light like you have.
Maleficence
Member
ARXIN said:
Right, so fuck all to do with Steam then and all to do with individual games. Thanks for clarifying. You seem to have difficulty in separating an on-line system with the games on that system. You also ignored my steam =/= TF2 comment which should have given away what I meant, but apparently not.
Y2Kev said:
Microsoft also does the Xbox Live/online play thing to a lesser extent with their hard drives, in forcing you to buy their own proprietary, overpriced versions if you want to upgrade your HDD space.
They basically hold critical features hostage at an unnecessary price. They know people will pay for them and that's why they do it, but holy shit is it anti-consumer.
Maleficence
Member
statham said:
Sorry to be pedantic, but is your shift key broken?
AcceptableGhost
Member
Microsoft has fucked over online gaming and gaming in general this generation probably harder then any company ever could in the history of gaming thanks to the 360. There is so much anti-consumer shit they have pulled it is incredible.
dragonelite
Member
Snuggler said:
Maybe my standards are low on ad stuff but the way they are doing it now i dont really care.
I have to interact with them and so its my own choice push x times and start game or go left and right watch the ad. It is once they are force me to watch ads before i can even start my game or forcing me to watch or click x button to cancel the ad is when i draw the line and the moment they do that i will demolish my ms console.
Well, yeah. They're in the business to make money just like every other business. Is not like Sony introduced PlayStation Plus out of kindness. Neither why they updated their XMB to put small ads in each section (Games, Movies, Music..and in Home) a few years ago.Snuggler said:
But for example...
Before NuAds, Snuggler:
1. Turned on his Xbox 360
2. Navigated around the dashboard, noticed the "beef jerky ad" in the Games section, but ignored it.
3. Checked around for some games, nothing interesting; head backs to play his favorite game
of course, Fable III
After NuAds, Snuggler:
1. Turned on his Xbox 360
2. Navigated around the dashboard, noticed the "beef jerky ad" in the Games section, but ignored it.
3. Checked around for some games, nothing interesting; head backs to play his favorite game
of course, Fable: The Journey
All I'm saying is that NuAds is not the epitome of intrusion that should make us all quit Xbox Live; that some people are trying to make it.