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[Lombax]

I just had to ask:

 

[Plinko]

That's going to be a hard one because it seems that their whole next gen gaming platform is based on being always online. Suddenly changing a huge part of that just before launch is going to be tough.

Also, they may have legal obligations with publishers now that would prevent them from doing so.

It's true, but it may be necessary to the negative media blitz they're getting right now.

 

[Tamanon]

I'm pretty sure I've never seen a more inept gaming personality at dealing with their customers than Arthur Gies. It's really weird, as gamers are their customers so he should be at least a little receptive to their thoughts. Not necessarily agreeing with them, but no need for blanket denial. It's almost like he sees his true customers as the gaming companies....and maybe that's the real issue with a site like Polygon.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

I actually now predict a sudden turn of events with Microsoft changing the policy and next week publicly announcing that it won't need to be online.

Unlikely, look at the retailers. They'll only change tact (provided the console is always online and does block used games), when Game and supermarkets start to speak up. supermarkers won't as games aren't a primary business for them, so it's left to Game and they no longer hold as much sway as they once did.

 

[Triple U]

What a saga this is turning out to be.

 

[Takuya]

That's going to be a hard one because it seems that their whole next gen gaming platform is based on being always online. Suddenly changing a huge part of that just before launch is going to be tough.

Also, they may have legal obligations with publishers now that would prevent them from doing so.

Just the fact that they even have the mindset to pull that off is enough to deter a lot of people from their products.

 

[Voice of Reason]

I just had to ask:

Yeah, I'm sure.

 

[Whiteshirt]

Interesting I just find it hard to understand why a company that wants to make money would do this, something like this would pretty much kill the product. I still don't beleive this is true based in common sense, hopefully MS has common sense to not do this.

This makes advertisements, awareness of services, release of certain DLC, and so forth more obvious to the consumer. Which, in turn, can encourage more spending on these services and software. The hardware doesn't really make money, its the services and software and that's the gold Microsoft has been going for since the original Xbox.

The loss in hardware sales, which might be subsidized, will probably be offset by increased spending on services and software. Publishers probably love this sort of shit as well so they'll give Microsoft some support in the process too.

The problem is that this can blow up in their face since consoles are...well not any better than smart devices at most multimedia things, especially now you can AirPlay/Miracast everything. I guess this is where the Xbox cable box comes in. Anyway, consoles are still gaming devices at the end of the day so need a gaming base to support it.

Also Ballmer is a pretty awful CEO that has been outmaneuvered by just about every major software-heavy company out there and is pretty good at getting rid of threats to his position.

 

[Vire]

I guess Microsoft gives zero shits about our service men over seas.

I'm just thinking about my buddy who currently plays all of his games offline in Afghanistan.

Welp, that's that.

 

[Doffen]

Interesting..he lists his company as Microsoft Studios instead of Game Studios...lends credence that he may be a plant..

in which case, bravo Sony!

Microsoft Game Studios became Microsoft Studios in 2011.

 

[Psi]

I just had to ask:

"I was only there to get directions on how to get away from there!"

 

[i-Lo]

Okay, so looks like after a short conversation, I've been blocked as well. Looks like pleasant words can sting if the argument made is both relevant and persuasive allowing no space for a come back.

 

[MVP]

So it's Microsoft's turn to get super arrogant toward their customers and go down in flames? Oh well.

Except they won't go down in flames, and all the other consoles will eventually go this route. Microsoft paving the way with innovation once again.

 

[cyberheater]

It's true, but it may be necessary to the negative media blitz they're getting right now.

I agree. MS needs to publicly state something soon to turn this around. This shit storm may force their hand.

 

[Megasoum]

Well that and GiantBomb has a strong 360-bias when it comes to game versions to review, so they'll duck out because "hey, not my problem so long as I continue to get free 720 games."

Sigh...you do realize that they review what the publisher decide to send them? It's not their fault (and it's the same with all the sites) if the publishers almost only send 360 copies for review.

 

[Kyoufu]

How does this guy even have a job?

It's Polygon. No surprises here.

 

[kaching]

It helps since it raises the lowest common denominator for a game targeted solely for this specific console. If always online is enforced, you are guaranteed, as a dev, that the game is always connected and the console is always at the latest firmware.

As a game design example, if I wanted to build an online RPG type game where all of the NPCs were instances of other people's characters, I would have to budget to include static NPCs to account for a case where the game is not connected to the internet if the console was not guaranteed to be always on.

It's really not much of a guarantee, it's not a QoS agreement, it's just shutting down folks who don't conform to a threshold of acceptable performance, whether by their own failing or not.

And how many devs are going to be making games "targeted solely for this specific console" next gen? I really doubt this all just for the 1st party devs sake.

No game gets built targeting 100% of the userbase. If you want to build an online-only RPG, you don't need every console owner to be always online, you build it as intended and market it to the segment of the market that's interested in that sort of thing. That's why markets exist, after all.

What next, demanding purchase pledges from every console buyer at checkout, that they will comply in buying X copies of games from each game genre?

 

[Delusibeta]

He's referring to the use of the word "cunt" in the GIF. I'm not sure it was used in the thread too.

 

[Azih]

Did somebody point out the problem with people in the military to Gies yet? Allowed to have game consoles, not allowed to have a personal net connection.

 

[Trey]

Uhh, what kind of tournament wouldn't have online?

Fighting game tournaments. You do not run those online under any circumstances. I would imagine shooters are the same.

 

[awa64]

Yeah, so awa64's comment that this thread is full of shit posts that discount any valid discussion is suspiciously similar to Arthur's tweet that anything surrounded by shit comments is automatically disqualified.

Just sayin'.

It's even more similar to this tweet.

You know, the one that the post I was responding to was directly addressing.

 

[Foxy Fox 39]

Gies.... he bores me. Whats the deal with Adam and MS?

 

[88random]

Just about died, don't know if already posted.

NeoGAF >>> internet >>> NeoGAF

 

[SonnyBoy]

You don't have to logon to see the post tho... Am I wrong?

 

[Gonzo The Great]

Doesn't Arthur have a GAF account? Or is he still hiding from the SimCity fiasco?

 

[DRG]

What a surprise, a corporate hack defending corporate practices. Stop giving him attention already. Those Twitter responses are really embarrassing for someone in his position (a guy pretending to be a journalist getting paid to do journalist work for a gaming news website). His employer should have told him to lay off the Tweets a long time ago. It reflects very badly on Polygon.

 

[flyinpiranha]

I'm not Arthur Gies but I probably wouldn't want to engage in a thread as violent and inconsolable as this one currently is. His passive aggressive shots through Twitter are weak though. He probably should ignore the insults of this thread if he truly feels above discourse with the people directing those same insults at him.

I think the issue is that he is paid to offer his opinion. He's paid to write. He's paid to comment. Something as big is this, picked up by non-gaming media even ... and he's done nothing. It says a lot.

If you can't put a few comments in a thread of 1000's to make a constructive statement on the matter then you aren't doing your job. And if you can only sling insults at others trying to find out more then you aren't only not doing your job, but you're doing the company you represent a disservice.

 

[xxracerxx]

Interesting..he lists his company as Microsoft Studios instead of Game Studios...lends credence that he may be a plant..

in which case, bravo Sony!

Dude. Are there really people still thinking this was all a hoax?

 

[tfur]

The dude is a coward and a shill.

It's a wrap.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Poor chap. We're so mean

 

[Exr]

I really wish he'd come into this thread and attempt to have some kind of discussion with us. It's easy to write off GAF as a singular entity (which makes no sense) and to write everyone off as nutjobs, but that simply isn't the case. Is he not confident in his argument? Does he honestly think there is no room for discussion on this website? Nonsense. I have no personal ill will towards the man but I can certainly acknowledge when someone is being unreasonable.

 

[Foffy]

What a well-reasoned response from him.

If anything, Gies is a fantastic study on where friends can get you in the world. Didn't he become part of the journalism scene exclusively because one of his friends brought him on a podcast and Gies used that as a platform for his "credentials"?

 

[The Living Tribunal]

I'm back.

What's a Gies?

 

[Fistwell]

"LALALALALALA I CANT HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING LALALALAALAAALAAL"

 

[wildfire]

I have seen plenty of fighting game tourneys streamed over 4g due to wifi issues in the convention room/etc. Obviously this is not a huge issue, but it is still an issue. An issue that would not exist were it not for compulsory online authentication.

Well let's not forget one of the features rumored for the new xbox is 4G. Phone tower coverage maybe one of the reasons Microsoft is confident this won't bite them in the ass. Even in poorer countries worldwide they do a lot of their web surfing through their phones than on pcs or laptops.

 

[unbias]

Wow. I posted Arthur's "start-up" on page 74? I think, about 8 hours ago, while I went off to work and seems he is back to doubling down. This guy needs a new word for doubling down though. Not shocked he is taking the "corporate" stance though. And that Awe64 guy or whatever seems to be purposely trying to create something that isnt there to change the subject.

 

[Diablo Rosso]

Poor chap. We're so mean

Awww, poor Arthur. You lot stop being mean.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Holy....

Can anyone summarize what's happened since last night? I went to bed after reading up to page 56 and this thread exploded since them.

 

[MattHelgeson]

I received an official statement from Microsoft a few minutes ago, via their PR agency Edelman:

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/...ll-require-always-on-internet-connection.aspx

 

[Walshicus]

Ok, so I've read many posts on here but I've not seen one person mention the MOST compelling reason this is a bad idea. I pay £25 a month for my internet connection so this would effectively add £300 to the price of the console EVERY FRINGIN' YEAR! I won't mention LIVE subscriptions ... it seems pitifully small in comparison

Forcing an internet connection to be required to play single player games is a Bad Thing, but that reason is pretty weak. You going to add the electricity or cost of the TV/monitor, or the food you eat to have the energy to play, or...?

 

[Danielsan]

Pyromaniac provided him with exactly what he requested, but it may or may not be on the same page as less articulate posts from other people, so unfortunately cannot be considered by Mr. Gies. Sounds reasonable to me!

You're better off trying to reason with todler than with Arthur Gies. He isn't worth anyone's time and attention

 

[hirokazu]

I tweeted him that it was a single post and hence was not surrounded by "vomit". He doesn't want to read it because it's on GAF.

LOL, if he isn't even reading it because the link is GAF, what if somebody pastes it on pastebin or a text file and links him to that? Still invalid?

You shouldn't be reading his tweet then Gies, because you just surrounded it with shit.

Hah!

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Can we stop giving attention to these people who aren't even part of the industry? Gies is as relevant to the industry as some kid screaming over mic while playing call of duty. At least that kid playing call of duty is a consumer and his rant over the mic reflects on the entire generation.

I don't know why these one-sided, opinionated bloggers gets so much more attention here at GAF than any other medium out there.

There are so many other guys out there who pour their heart and soul in what they do, and they are barely noticed here. Then there are guys who think they own this industry, yet they run their bullshit and everyone quotes them left and right.

I guess controversy creates cash?

 

[Gonzo The Great]

I received an official statement from Microsoft a few minutes ago, via their PR agency Edelman:

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/...ll-require-always-on-internet-connection.aspx

No denial means it's confirmed.

 

[Liberty4all]

Any updates since page 76? I collapsed at 6 in the morning.

 

[Takuya]

I received an official statement from Microsoft a few minutes ago, via their PR agency Edelman:

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/...ll-require-always-on-internet-connection.aspx

i.e. "Nothing".

 

[Lionel Mandrake]

I've never heard of this Gies guy before, but the fact that he exists is pretty funny.

 

[Foxy Fox 39]

Holy....

Can anyone summarize what's happened since last night? I went to bed after reading up to page 56 and this thread exploded since them.

summary is on the 1st page. Lately though Gies has been riling up the gaf hate with his unadulterated love for everything MS/a cool 750,000 dollars

 

[i-Lo]

Oh like hell he is! Not wading through vomit and diarrhea for your sake! #TeamGies

It was user "awa64" who alleged that homophobic comments and sexual slurs have been directed at Gies. And the post he linked to was Sunhilegend's .GIF file.

These kinds of allegations are serious because he goes on state GAF don't enforce their own TOS.

 

[KarmaCow]

It's a shame that this seems to be focused on Gies now. He clearly doesn't give a fuck about a discussion so why bother even trying to talk about him.