Xbox One Set To Launch On November 22

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Xbox One Set To Launch On November 22

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday September 4, 2013 @02:05AM from the people-like-games dept.

Dave Knott writes "Microsoft announced today that its upcoming Xbox One console will launch later this year on November 22 in 13 territories, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States. This is exactly one week after the announced street date for Sony's PlayStation 4, ending speculation about whether Microsoft would try to launch ahead of their closest rival's next-generation console. It is also the same day that the Xbox 360 launched in 2005." The supply of pre-order consoles is mostly exhausted already.

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Does it have host file support? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:07 · Score: 0

If not, apk ain't going to buy one.
1. Re:Does it have host file support? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:15 · Score: 0
  
  it's the hosts file, you uneducated windows luser
2. Re:Does it have host file support? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:16 · Score: 0
  
  If not, apk ain't going to buy one.
  ...so, umm, what it if gives you a subluxation when you pick it up?
Sorry.. by GrBear · 2013-09-04 02:11 · Score: 2, Informative

But I already pre-ordered a PS4 after Microsoft showed their true colors towards customers and developers.
1. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:12 · Score: 1
  
  Sony already showed their true colors multiple times, and guess what? They're hardly better than Microsoft. Why someone would support companies that lock down their consoles and have any sort of DRM at all is beyond my comprehension.
2. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 02:17 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  So what is the alternative?
  Even Steambox has DRM.
  Windows 7 and 8 basically are DRM, they even downgrade Blu-ray if you play it over a non-HDCP protected path.
3. Re:Sorry.. by UnknowingFool · 2013-09-04 02:31 · Score: 1
  
  And MS didn't learn from Sony's mistakes. If anything they doubled down until the outcry was so great that they had to reverse course. Seriously Sony got a standing ovation at E3 for not changing anything when it came to used games. MS fucked up badly. I suspect this is why Don Mattrick left so suddenly.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
4. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:32 · Score: 0
  
  The irony is strong with this one.
5. Re:Sorry.. by Hadlock · 2013-09-04 02:36 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  PS4 has less DRM and Sony is decidedly less hostile towards their customers. Microsoft had to be cowed in to eating their own words and finally reversing fully on a lot of anti-consumer policies. Vote with your dollars, get the same (basic) product, everybody wins!
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
6. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:42 · Score: 0
  
  Really? I decided not to buy either after both sony and microsoft showed their true colors towards customers.
7. Re:Sorry.. by gstoddart · 2013-09-04 02:42 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  I don't care if they have DRM ... as long as it doesn't require an internet connection to do it.
  I have no interest in having my video game console serve me ads and the like, so a required internet connection for me is a deal breaker. Even that one time register is too much -- it's none of Microsoft's business who I am or that I have a video game.
  I don't expect DRM to just go away, but when Microsoft started putting ads in the home screen of my XBox 360 -- well, sorry, but no.
  I bought the console, I bought the game; if you think you should be entitled to my usage data and the ability to advertise to me, too damned bad. I don't play games online, so that internet connection doesn't do anything to improve my experience with it. It's purely a mechanism for Microsoft and the game publishers to annoy me.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
8. Re:Sorry.. by oodaloop · 2013-09-04 02:45 · Score: 1
  
  Well, it's a good thing you went with a company that really respects its customers and developers, like Sony.
  
  --
  Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
9. Re:Sorry.. by TWiTfan · 2013-09-04 02:49 · Score: 1
  
  I'm not pre-ordering either this time. I still don't trust Sony and MS has been a complete foot-in-mouth bunch of jackasses on the Xbox One. In the previous two generations, I pre-ordered the Xbox 360 and Xbox1. This generation, I'm waiting to see which console maker with be the biggest ass-clown of the two (a role that MS is competing VERY hard for so far) before I decide.
  
  --
  The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
10. Re:Sorry.. by sosume · 2013-09-04 02:52 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  I haven't seen MS distributing rootkits with its hardware products. So definitely less hostile. I swore to never buy anything from Sont again since the rootkit fiasco, and have kept to that.
11. Re:Sorry.. by ackthpt · 2013-09-04 02:54 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  So what is the alternative?
  Even Steambox has DRM.
  Windows 7 and 8 basically are DRM, they even downgrade Blu-ray if you play it over a non-HDCP protected path.
  Go outside and play.
  That's the better alternative.
  
  --
  
  A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
12. Re:Sorry.. by TWiTfan · 2013-09-04 02:55 · Score: 1
  
  PS4 has less DRM
  At this point, that's unclear. It appears that both Sony and MS will be allowing *publishers* to decide the level of DRM on their products, though Sony has definitely taken a more hostile public stand against it. What this will all mean in the end we won't know until the actual games start coming out. "The proof is in the pudding," so to speak. I'm taking a wait-and-see approach with both of them for now.
  
  --
  The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
13. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:55 · Score: 1
  
  Ultimately if you want a gaming console, you get the more powerful device that just happens to be cheaper.
  You just have to accept that whatever console you buy, the manufacturer is most likely a complete bastard.
14. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:58 · Score: 0
  
  I'm taking a wait-and-see approach with both of them for now.
  I'm waiting to see which company enrages (and thus motivates) geohot first. That will likely decide my purchase.
15. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:59 · Score: 1
  
  PS4 has less DRM and Sony is decidedly less hostile towards their customers.
  Good, good, I'm glad we got over this entire "historical precedent" nonsense. I mean, that whole Other OS and pathetic security with their online service thing was a whole THREE YEARS AGO!!!1! My God, that's ancient history! Nobody who decided that could POSSIBLY still be alive! Do you know how long THREE YEARS is? Finally, we know for a fact how long immature internet rage lasts, and now companies can take heart in knowing that they can issue hollow, token levels of apology and just wait a little bit to get back in the good favor of their customers!
  I swear I called this back when the Other OS debacle erupted. Everyone was up in arms about it, predicting the death of Sony as a result of crossing TEH HOEMBROOERS OHNOES (wasn't there... wait, I know this... something... something-something Air Force? Man, I guess Sony sure was in trouble there!). Now, hey presto, they're "decidedly less hostile towards their customers", and now those same people are cheerfully "voting with their wallets", as they liked to harp on about, and everyone's bestest friends with Sony!
16. Re:Sorry.. by TWiTfan · 2013-09-04 02:59 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  I get a funny picture in my head every time I think of the guy who must run MS's Public Relations division. I'm picturing a cross between Dustin Hoffman's character in "Rain Man," Leonardo DeCaprio's character in "What's eating Gilbert Grape," and a doorstop. And a dumb doorstop at that.
  
  --
  The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
17. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 03:00 · Score: 0
  
  I bet you were one of those people who vowed never to buy Sony products after their rootkit fiascos.
18. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 03:09 · Score: 2
  
  The Xbox will continue to be an advertising machine. For me that disqualifies it right there.
19. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 03:12 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  Where are these video games outside?
  Also when I get home from work it tends to be dark other than the middle of summer. Plus what are my friends wives going to say about this?
  Also real ammo is expensive these days. The last time I took the long guns out I spent more in a couple hours on ammo than I have spent in months on video games.
20. Re:Sorry.. by gstoddart · 2013-09-04 03:22 · Score: 2
  
  Yup. Which is why my current XBox got disconnected from the network the day after they pushed the update which added ads to the home screen and the games.
  If Microsoft thinks they're getting free reign of an internet connection on a video game ever again from me, they're quite mistaken.
  That they acted like such arrogant, dismissive assholes when they announced this initially says they don't actually give a crap about customers. So, conversely, I don't much give a crap about them.
  An internet connection in a video game is mostly a vehicle for ads, and for the game publisher to try to convince me to spend real money to 'enhance' my gaming experience -- neither of which interest me.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
21. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 03:26 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  So a CD is classified as hardware now? And please note, while you say Sony it was actually just the music part, the US bit at that. And they did it all without approval from the top, you know, head office in Japan.
  So, while you still berate Sony do you still buy Microsoft products? You do know all the anti-competitive things they have done, don't you? Or are you just a hypocrite?
22. Re:Sorry.. by UnknowingFool · 2013-09-04 03:28 · Score: 1
  
  I'm guessing the MS PR people have been doing this for since E3.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
23. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 03:29 · Score: 1
  
  I will not if that means advertising on the damn home screen. Nor will I pay a tithe to be able to access netflix.
24. Re:Sorry.. by AdamStarks · 2013-09-04 03:38 · Score: 2
  
  Sony is decidedly less hostile towards their customers
  You are aware that Sony is one of the biggest members of both the MPAA and the RIAA, right? Two of the most decidedly anti-consumer organizations out there?
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPAA
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA
25. Re:Sorry.. by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 03:54 · Score: 1
  
  Right. Microsoft only tried to give us DRM until we can't sneeze without permission because the media companies that want to sell products through Microsoft outlets ask for it.
  
  Sony is one of those media companies that asked for it. Their console division may pretend to be friendly to consumers, but that was just cynical self-interest. And outside the console division, Sony's history on DRM (rootkit fiasco, MPAA and RIAA support) and security (Playstation Network hack and long outage) is awful. It's an open question which of these two companies is more evil at any given moment, but there are no heroes in this game.
  
  I think the only thing that might, might keep either console vendor from going wild with DRM is that a growing portion of consumers are choosing to do most of their gaming with iPads and Nexus 7s. If PS4 and Xbox One were mostly battling each other, the two manufacturers would probably shake hands behind closed doors and lock everything down. But that $60 Medal of Honor 94 is against NOVA 3 for $7, and the iPad or Android tablet that can play Nova 3 can also surf the web, post to Twitter, and work comfortably in the back seat of a car or any seat on a train.
26. Re:Sorry.. by N0Man74 · 2013-09-04 03:57 · Score: 4, Interesting
  Read a mother fucking book.
  Or...
  Exercise.
  Make a healthy meal, and clean up.
  Spend time with friends and family.
  Try board games.
  Do all the things you want to do, but you keep putting off because you don't have time (chores, fixing that broken shower head, writing that novel/program, learn to play an instrument).
  Get the recommended amount of sleep.
  I enjoy video games too, but they are time vampires. I greatly appreciate the anti-consumer ass-hattery of Sony and Microsoft and the tech ineptitude of Nintendo, and the decline of Blizzard over the last several years. They are making it increasingly easy to break the habit.
  In the last few years I've increased my fitness level, had improvements in my (previously non-existent) dating life, made more friends, improved my programming, learned to ride a motorcycle, and have even gotten involved in some performing arts. I still waste a lot of time on dumb shit, and I find myself wondering how much more I could accomplish if I wasn't so horrible with schedules and discipline.
  Thank you video game industry for having your heads up alienating your customers!
27. Re:Sorry.. by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 03:57 · Score: 1
  
  I suggest archery instead of firearms, most of the time your ammunition is reusable.
  
  But your other points are of course valid. I can't safely go shooting or take a bike ride or play soccer at night.
28. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 04:01 · Score: 2
  
  I do that too, but most of my friends do not.
  I use my basement to do archery at night and in inclimate weather. Basement runs whole length of the house so not much of a range, but ok for Archery and Air guns.
  Arrows are expensive too, last time I bought a dozen gold tips it was around $100. I had them cut to length and fletched though. Normally I do the latter, but I prefer not to cut carbon arrows myself because of the dust.
29. Re:Sorry.. by jellomizer · 2013-09-04 04:17 · Score: 1
  
  Its beyond your comprehension. It is very simple.
  They don't care.
  Sure the PS4 or XBox One can probably work as a PC. But why buy a console if you want a PC. You want a game console that play games, and plays them well. So most people who buy these things are not going to be making a PC out of it, or hacking it, trying to pirate games... They are OK to be playing by the rules.
  If you can hack it. Then you can get a (bigger) issues such as Modifications to Online Games so players can cheat. Malware programs propagating across the network.
  Are these problems worth it with the reduced freedom probably not... However most people would rather be safe then sorry and not think about it.
  With all the problems in the world and you spend your time pining on the fact that you cannot modify your gaming console. It probably means you are not really living, or you are living with too many First World Problems.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
30. Re:Sorry.. by Ravaldy · 2013-09-04 04:25 · Score: 2
  
  Well, the PS3 was inferior to the XBox 360. Will PS4 actually beat Xbox this time?
  1. Graphics in most games were rated to be better on XBox 360 as per GameSpot
  2. Many of the big titles were ports from XBox 360 to PS3 which left many customers unhappy. Read the forums you will see.
  3. There is a larger population for Xbox 360 owners (more units sold), if tendency remains users will stick to the platform they know.
  Question is here, other than the .5% of techies here that just don't like MS, who's going to care about any bad press MS had if they adjusted to their customer feedback? Based on my surroundings, the PS3 users I know are going for the XBox one. The only reason they originally purchased a PS3 was because of the free online gaming access which my understanding is gone on the PS4.
31. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:25 · Score: 0
  
  You notice all the whiners about Sony and Microsoft never mention this...they just want to rant and cry. Maybe they should disconnect. Corporations will go after your money however they can. To believe any of them have your interests at heart is complete foolishness. They wouldn't be a mega rich corporation if they were...
32. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:27 · Score: -1
  
  Guess you need to stop using /. too. See the ads? Dumbass selective reasoning moron.
33. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:30 · Score: 0
  
  THEY NEVER FUCKING HID THEM!
34. Re:Sorry.. by cbhacking · 2013-09-04 04:31 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Because retroactively removing advertised features from purchased products is very consumer-friendly, right? I can't believe how short memories here on Slashdot are. Yes, 15 years ago MS was "evil" for bundling a web browser with an OS at no extra charge (the horrors!) but three years ago Sony crippled their own products *after you had already bought them* and you call them *less* hostile? You're either insane or very, very biased. Sony are playing you for a fool, and you're lapping it up.
  Mind you, I have no intention of purchasing either console, but seriously, you sound like an idiot, and Sony has a *lot* to answer for. Seeing somebody call them *less* hostile than... pretty much *any* other consumer-oriented company is absurd.
  
  --
  There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
35. Re:Sorry.. by Hadlock · 2013-09-04 04:36 · Score: 1
  
  I guess that just goes to show that Sony is more in tune with how draconian DRM is perceived in the marketplace? The fact at stake here is that Sony acknowledged it and acted on it, while Microsoft didn't think the market cared enough to leverage consumer consideration to push their platform in the lead. Microsoft may have adopted a more consumer friendly stance on paper, but the management hasn't suddenly been switched out with gamer DRM hippies. Those PHB types are still making decisions at microsoft...
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
36. Re:Sorry.. by i+kan+reed · 2013-09-04 04:38 · Score: 1
  
  I do every item on your list most days(well, board games are weekly), and I still play video games sometimes.
37. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:44 · Score: 0
  
  In the last few years I've increased my fitness level, had improvements in my (previously non-existent) dating life, made more friends, improved my programming, learned to ride a motorcycle, and have even gotten involved in some performing arts. I still waste a lot of time on dumb shit,
  there are people who might not consider that stuff you mentioned "dumb shit"
38. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 04:47 · Score: 2
  
  Nope, get an account with good karma and you will not either.
  Not that it would matter, since I pay $0 for slashdot vs a console for hundreds of dollars.
  Dumbass apples to oranges comparing moron.
39. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 04:50 · Score: 1
  
  There is not a larger population of 360 users.
  1. It sold very poorly outside North America
  2. Many 360 users owned 2 or more units due to the RROD issues
  I know 0 people buying an Xbox one. Netflix is still free to use via the PS4 and most of my friends are not big on multiplayer. The adult schedule does not often work for that.
40. Re:Sorry.. by tbannist · 2013-09-04 05:05 · Score: 0, Flamebait
  
  Yes, 15 years ago MS was "evil" for bundling a web browser with an OS at no extra charge (the horrors!)
  You obviously don't have to work with anything on the web, because the pain inflicted by Microsoft on the countless web developers over the years is still fresh and ongoing for many. There are quire a few people who are only a few more "It doesn't work in IE6"s away from a murderous rampage. That's also ignoring everything else Microsoft has pulled in the 15 years since.
  
  Sony crippled their own products *after you had already bought them* and you call them *less* hostile? You're either insane or very, very biased. Sony are playing you for a fool, and you're lapping it up.
  I have yet to see anyone say Sony is an Angel, but the truth is most people didn't use the Other OS feature, and for those that didn't the change didn't do anything to cripple what they use the PS3 for which is usually either watching movies, playing games, or both. There are things I don't like about the changes Sony has made over the life of the PS3, but frankly, Microsoft seems to be worse in just about every way that matters to me. On the other hand, calling someone an idiot, a fool, and insane for not agreeing with your opinion is juvenile and belligerent.
  
  --
  Fanatically anti-fanatical
41. Re:Sorry.. by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 05:06 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't practiced archery for decades, but the last time I bought cheap training arrows they were $3 each, and if I shot into targets on bales of straw the arrows usually survived intact.
42. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 05:06 · Score: -1
  
  Exercise - time vampire.
  Make a healthy meal, and clean up - time vampire.
  Spend time with friends and family - time vampire.
  Try board games - time vampire.
  Do all the things you want to do, but you keep putting off because you don't have time (chores, fixing that broken shower head, writing that novel/program, learn to play an instrument) - time vampire.
  Get the recommended amount of sleep - the one true time vampire.
  Posting on Slashdot - time vampire.
  Time vampire easily fits all your suggestions and more. Such preachy words fail to convey a compelling argument.
43. Re:Sorry.. by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 05:12 · Score: 1
  
  I think Sony still supports DRM, they just did a cost-benefit analysis of supporting DRM versus the increased sales from avoiding it, and discovered that the second option was superior. You can't lock down consumer access to the media they purchased through your device if they don't own your device. That's not putting consumer interest first, just more thorough market research by Sony than Microsoft.
  
  I think this shows that Sony management is more practical and less arrogant than Microsoft management, but not that the company is any more ethical.
  
  If I stick to my FSF principles, I won't get either. But I have to admit that Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare just looks like too much fun to ignore.
44. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 05:17 · Score: 0
  
  You had them felched? You dirty beast.
45. Re:Sorry.. by SilenceBE · 2013-09-04 05:19 · Score: 2
  
  I haven't seen MS distributing rootkits with its hardware products. So definitely less hostile.
  
  But remember kids when Sony opens their bootloaders for Android it is the Ericsson part. But when Sony BMG does something stupid it is the whole company that is at fault.
  
  But yeah trying to strip consumer rights to the bare minimum, wanting to have a system that is 24/24 connected and knowing that you are part of PRISM (but I forgot its OK because it only invades the privacy of us non-Americans/Untermenschen) isn't really the signs of a company that is hostile. The whole f*cking box was original planted as one big ROOTkit.
  
  I swore to never buy anything from Sont again since the rootkit fiasco, and have kept to that.
  
  So you don't have any products with for example a camera sensor ?
46. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 05:20 · Score: 0
  
  Don't fool yourself. You simply grew up.
47. Re:Sorry.. by N0Man74 · 2013-09-04 05:34 · Score: 1
  
  In the last few years I've increased my fitness level, had improvements in my (previously non-existent) dating life, made more friends, improved my programming, learned to ride a motorcycle, and have even gotten involved in some performing arts. I still waste a lot of time on dumb shit,
  there are people who might not consider that stuff you mentioned "dumb shit"
  Sorry if I was unclear. That wasn't the list of stupid shit. I was just pointing out that I still manage to waste a lot of time, despite all those kinds of things.
48. Re:Sorry.. by N0Man74 · 2013-09-04 05:56 · Score: 2
  
  There is a difference between an activity that takes time and a "time vampire". The things I mentioned certainly take time, but they are things that are about enhancing or maintaining your quality of life, building stronger social ties, and growing personally, professionally, or creatively. They are things that can have positive benefits.
  If you see enhancing or maintaining your health, social ties, skills, creativity, and knowledge as being nothing but "time vampires" that are equivalent to spending it on video games, I think you might need to reflect a little on your priorities.
  I like video games, and I still play occasionally.. but instead of gaming being something I do several days a week (if not daily), it is something I might go weeks or a months without doing before I notice its absence. I'm not even going to say that gaming doesn't have any benefit, but I do suggest that the benefit is still very likely to be less than what you would derive from other activities; despite any benefits, there is still a significant opportunity cost, just like there is with too much TV, Facebook, pr0n, or posting on Slashdot.
49. Re:Sorry.. by N0Man74 · 2013-09-04 05:57 · Score: 1
  
  Don't fool yourself. You simply grew up.
  Perhaps... or at least began the process. I don't think I'm quite there yet.
50. Re:Sorry.. by HairyNevus · 2013-09-04 06:13 · Score: 1
  
  In fairness, I'm (for some reason) on my third PS3 due to YLOD issues.
  ....And I'm building a gaming PC for next-gen :P
  
  --
  You were critically hit for no damage. The bruise will look nice, and maybe the scars will make good party talk.
51. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 06:21 · Score: 1
  
  Gold tips are rather expensive carbon arrows. I shoot into a block and they always come out fine, unless I robin hood them. Eventually from field use they get lost or damaged when I miss. $3/arrow and hay bales sounds like you were using aluminum arrows.
52. Re:Sorry.. by halltk1983 · 2013-09-04 06:35 · Score: 1
  
  Video games have been shown in studies to improve cognitive ability and problem solving skills. Many video games involve online interaction with other people, frequently improving social skills. Raiding in MMOs qualifies for this, especially in a guild, where you make new friends or play with old ones. Many of my guildies that I play with frequently are RL friends. In addition, quickly typing messages assists in clear, accurate, typing practice, which is a skill I use daily in my career. Many of my co-workers play videos, so I can play with them, or communicate with them about the games, further improving the team rapport.
  
  Just because you hate video games, it doesn't mean they don't have worth. It just means you're too blind to see it.
  
  --
  Watch for Penguins, they eat Apples and throw rocks at Windows.
53. Re:Sorry.. by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 06:36 · Score: 1
  
  Wooden, actually. :)
54. Re:Sorry.. by TWiTfan · 2013-09-04 06:57 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  You obviously don't have to work with anything on the web, because the pain inflicted by Microsoft on the countless web developers over the years is still fresh and ongoing for many.
  Uh, I've been doing web development since before IE (and even Netscape) existed, and I don't know wtf you're talking about. When IE came out, I added it as a test platform just like Netscape. As it got more popular, I targeted it more (same as I've done with iOS Safari in recent years). The only people I've ever seen tearing any hair out over a new browser were fucking drama queens who refused to adapt, or thought that standards should be a license for laziness.
  
  --
  The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
55. Re:Sorry.. by TWiTfan · 2013-09-04 07:21 · Score: 1
  
  You would be surprised at the number of people who buy and sell used console games. They're most certainly not pirates and they're playing by the rules. It's just that MS (and possible Sony) are trying to CHANGE the rules.
  
  --
  The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
56. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 07:22 · Score: 1
  
  I would be very surprised if wooden arrows could be straight enough or sturdy enough for modern archery.
  Also I will get off your lawn now.
57. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 07:31 · Score: -1
  
  Hey dumbass!
  You're missing a word in between "so" and "definitely" necessary to make your post convey any meaning whatsoever.
  You should probably die.
58. Re:Sorry.. by abigsmurf · 2013-09-04 07:52 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, I can't believe Slashdot's memory either. Care to show me a single example of Linux on PS3 being advertised?
  
  You can't. Because it was never advertised, it was never even mentioned on the box. The only 'promotion' it ever had was a few Sony reps talking about it and the fact it was included with the console. It was always a little bonus, it was never a promoted feature. It wasn't even any good, performance was poor and the sandbox it run under gave you very little hardware access.
  
  Besides which, it wasn't forcibly removed, you were free to choose not to agree to getting the latest version of the PS3 firmware if you wanted to. They made you choose between Linux and the latest firmware but you still had the choice (so that Navy example everyone gave as pretty much the only people who had found a use for it wasn't affected).
59. Re:Sorry.. by jellomizer · 2013-09-04 08:00 · Score: 1
  
  That is for the XBox One, but not for the PS4
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
60. Re:Sorry.. by TWiTfan · 2013-09-04 08:36 · Score: 1
  
  Sony has made it clear that they won't stop publishers from prohibiting resale of their games either. They just won't make it a requirement at the console level, like MS was planning. At this point, it all comes down to what the publishers think they can get away with (which, in the case of EA, is probably quite a bit).
  
  --
  The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
61. Re:Sorry.. by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 08:37 · Score: 1
  
  I was a teenager at the time, the bow had a 35 pound draw. I wouldn't be surprised if a bow with a 50 or higher pound draw would demolish those arrows. I just hadn't thought of the possibility until you suggested it. They held up fine to my little recurve.
62. Re:Sorry.. by h4rr4r · 2013-09-04 08:44 · Score: 1
  
  I am shooting a 70lb Compound with 80% letoff. I can shoot through a steel drum. Not really useful, but neat to do.
63. Re:Sorry.. by Master+Moose · 2013-09-04 09:37 · Score: 1
  
  Some of us still have memories.
  M$ is still evil and Sony has seen my last hardware dollar (until they both prove themselves to have made significant change)
  Why my hardware dollar? Well I am not so anal as to check what studio/distributor is behind the movies/records I see or buy.
  
  --
  . . .gone when the morning comes
64. Re:Sorry.. by Master+Moose · 2013-09-04 10:02 · Score: 1
  
  You can't. Because it was never advertised, it was never even mentioned on the box. The only 'promotion' it ever had was a few Sony reps talking about it and the fact it was included with the console. .
  I would say that reps speaking publicly about features of an product constitutes advertising. A bonus feature it may have been. They included it and spoke about it to target a segment of the population that would be interested in this. For some users this 'promotion' formed a part of their purchasing decision.
  
  Besides which, it wasn't forcibly removed, you were free to choose not to agree to getting the latest version of the PS3 firmware if you wanted to. They made you choose between Linux and the latest firmware but you still had the choice (so that Navy example everyone gave as pretty much the only people who had found a use for it wasn't affected).
  Yes you had the choice, however, by forcing this choice on your customers, you were limiting more than just access to the PS network.
  Users could keep the other OS, and stay off the PS Network and not be able to run any new Playstation Software. Games released after the update required the latest firmware. For those who wanted the Other OS as something to tinker with on the side, this choice crippled their Gaming machine.
  
  --
  . . .gone when the morning comes
65. Re:Sorry.. by Teckla · 2013-09-04 11:21 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't seen MS distributing rootkits with its hardware products. So definitely less hostile.
  I haven't seen Sony charging me extra to stream Netflix or browse the web. So definitely less hostile.
66. Re:Sorry.. by Teckla · 2013-09-04 11:26 · Score: 1
  
  Go outside and play.
  That's the better alternative.
  Maybe you should take your own advice rather than act like a condescending jerk. For all you know, the person you responded to spends plenty of time outside already. We're talking about video games and hardware here. If you don't want to contribute to that discussion in a meaningful way, you should just go away.
67. Re:Sorry.. by Teckla · 2013-09-04 11:29 · Score: 1
  
  Now that you play video games less, it seems it also affords you the time to be a condescending jerk to people on the Internet!
  Congratulations!
68. Re:Sorry.. by chickybrick · 2013-09-04 13:41 · Score: 1
  
  Oh please. I'm in agreement with him. I've found a lot of gamers (also known as addicts) will become aggressively defensive if someone points out negative attributes of the activity. You can still enjoy them while understanding that they're unhealthy and zap time from other pursuits which can still be as fun, but also benefit in more tangible and socially acceptable ways.
69. Re:Sorry.. by Belial6 · 2013-09-04 16:44 · Score: 1
  
  I think you are wrong about it being techies that will kill the Xbox One. It is going to be wives. There is no way that an XBox One will ever be in my house. It is irrelevant whether I want one or not. The minute my wife heard about an always on connection and camera, there was no way she was going to allow one in our home. I have heard several of her friends make the same comments. None of the care about consoles. All they care is that there is never an Xbox One brought into their homes.
  
  Out of curiosity, I asked a couple of them if MS's change of policy was going to have any effect on their stance concerning the XBox One, and every one of them were absolutely clear that there was no way that an XBox One would be in their home irrelevant of any policy changes MS made.
70. Re:Sorry.. by Suhas · 2013-09-04 17:24 · Score: 1
  
  Is Sony the same company that put a rootkit on their customers home devices because they dared to listen to some music? Yup, less hostile.
71. Re:Sorry.. by Suhas · 2013-09-04 17:50 · Score: 1
  
  HA HA HA. So now that Sony will make you pay for PSN+ (and any kit with a script can break into it and steal your information),. what are you gonna do? Obvious troll is obvious.
72. Re:Sorry.. by Suhas · 2013-09-04 17:57 · Score: 1
  
  also benefit in more tangible and socially acceptable ways.
  Not sure which sanctimonious part of the world you live in, but where I live playing video games is perfectly socially acceptable. In fact, if you do not have a Console/PC and are unfamiliar with video games then you are classified as weird. So it is actually socially detrimental not to play video games here.
73. Re:Sorry.. by chickybrick · 2013-09-04 18:21 · Score: 1
  
  Fuck you. I hope you die you cunt.
74. Re:Sorry.. by the_arrow · 2013-09-04 19:13 · Score: 1
  
  Or get a baby, and have no time at all for those things.
  
  --
  / The Arrow
  "How lovely you are. So lovely in my straightjacket..." - Nny
75. Re:Sorry.. by RaceProUK · 2013-09-04 23:15 · Score: 1
  
  Show proof you need PSN+ to stream Netflix on PS4. Otherwise, obvious troll is obvious.
  
  --
  No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
76. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 23:50 · Score: 0
  
  s/devices/Windows computers/
  
  IMHO, Windows users put up with much more than that all the time. If people continue to "choose" Windows and leave themselves open to shenanigans like this, well, so be it.
77. Re:Sorry.. by Teckla · 2013-09-05 02:00 · Score: 1
  
  Oh please. I'm in agreement with him. I've found a lot of gamers (also known as addicts) will become aggressively defensive if someone points out negative attributes of the activity. You can still enjoy them while understanding that they're unhealthy and zap time from other pursuits which can still be as fun, but also benefit in more tangible and socially acceptable ways.
  I play maybe 2-3 video games per year. i.e., Not much. Yet, I don't feel the need to get on the Internet and start preaching to other people how they should spend their time. It's stupid, pointless, condescending, obnoxious, and off-topic for this story.
78. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-05 12:44 · Score: 0
  
  You know you have lost the argument when you have to resort to repeating OP's phrase back at him. Kinda like, "No, your mom is fat". fucking juvenile retards like you will be the death of /.
79. Re:Sorry.. by Suhas · 2013-09-05 12:46 · Score: 1
  
  Is that the best you can do troll?
80. Re:Sorry.. by RaceProUK · 2013-09-05 19:36 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, a lovely warm fire to start the day with :)
  
  --
  No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
81. Re:Sorry.. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-05 21:56 · Score: 0
  
  A modern compound bow has a draw weight of up to 100lb. Estimates of the draw weight for longbows range from 90 to 180lb, mostly in the upper half of this range.
82. Re:Sorry.. by Ravaldy · 2013-09-06 05:07 · Score: 1
  
  That's funny considering the same wives you speak of use cell phones which in my opinion are a far bigger breach of privacy than a game console. I say lets take out those cameras and microphones out of our phones. Ohhh, and what about our GPS coordinates that you can't disable because the providers have control? And now people are worried about the camera in their living room that is designed to improve/change you gaming experience, not spy. Sounds like ill informed decision making.
  This article explains exactly how Kinect is designed to be safe and private:
  http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/06/microsoft-addresses-xbox-one-kinect-privacy-concerns/
83. Re:Sorry.. by Belial6 · 2013-09-06 15:57 · Score: 1
  
  MS has back peddled on a number of issues surrounding what they will collect with the Xbox One. When the were called out on privacy concerns, they were slow to respond and vague in their answers. If a cell phone camera were to be abused, it is far less likely to produce a video that can end up on www.realamaturemilfs.com than a camera pointing at your couch that has a motor to point and track movement in a room.
  
  And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. MS crossed lines that offend wives. Whether those wives are rational or not is totally irrelevant. irrationally refusing to allow an Xbox One in their home is just as bad for MS as rationally refusing to allow and Xbox One in the house.
84. Re:Sorry.. by Dot.Com.CEO · 2013-09-08 18:15 · Score: 1
  
  So you were doing "web development" on what? Lynx?... Mosaic?... Gopher perchance?
  
  --
  Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
85. Re:Sorry.. by Ravaldy · 2013-09-09 04:43 · Score: 1
  
  Most wives don't know. Yours probably does because you talk to her about gaming consoles at dinner time but I can assure you 95% of wives don't know. So that argument is in the toilet.
  Speaking of privacy, I'm sure all those Sony users who had their credit card information on their accounts stolen are pleased their data was well protected.
86. Re:Sorry.. by Belial6 · 2013-09-09 16:16 · Score: 1
  
  Sure I did, but then she talks to her friends and they talk to their friends like a Fabrege Organics commercial
  
  Most women are going to be less concerned about their credit card being stolen than a video of them getting buggered on their couch. It is a lot easier to correct the first problem too.
87. Re:Sorry.. by Ravaldy · 2013-09-10 04:06 · Score: 1
  
  If I talk to my wife about guy stuff she doesn't talk to other women about it because they usually don't care about the topic.
  Regareless, the wives will buy X-Box One if that's what their sons ask for X-Mas. You know how mothers are.
88. Re:Sorry.. by Belial6 · 2013-09-10 05:58 · Score: 1
  
  While video game consoles might be 'guy stuff', having a camera in your living room very quickly becomes wife stuff.
  
  At the end of the day, time will tell whether MS has shot themselves in the foot or not with this one.
Not the least bit interested in buying one. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:11 · Score: 2, Informative

Until they stop closing down their consoles (which will never happen) and stop implementing any form of DRM (again, probably never), I'll never buy any of this garbage.
1. Re:Not the least bit interested in buying one. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:31 · Score: -1
  
  Until they stop closing down their consoles (which will never happen) and stop implementing any form of DRM (again, probably never), I'll never buy any of this garbage.
  Thanks for your informative post. What other things don't you like?
2. Re:Not the least bit interested in buying one. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:40 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Other things would be off topic in this post, wouldn't they?
3. Re:Not the least bit interested in buying one. by ildon · 2013-09-07 16:58 · Score: 1
  
  and stop implementing any form of DRM
  So you're not a console customer on any platform. Got it.
That's GREAT! by Safety+Cap · 2013-09-04 02:11 · Score: 0, Flamebait

I might take a break from my PS4 just to laugh at the MS FanBoyz. I hope they enjoy spending their Microsoft Fun Bucks, I mean cash on avatar "clothes".
I have a 360 -- the last Xbox I'll own until MS pulls their head out of their sphincters.

--
Yeah, right.
1. Re:That's GREAT! by tompaulco · 2013-09-04 02:49 · Score: 1
  
  I might take a break from my PS4 just to laugh at the MS FanBoyz. I hope they enjoy spending their Microsoft Fun Bucks, I mean cash on avatar "clothes".
  I have a 360 -- the last Xbox I'll own until MS pulls their head out of their sphincters.
  I won't be buying either one for awhile. I can't see any reason to buy an Xbox at all, and the PS4 doesn't have any launch titles that interest me. I'll buy Grant Theft Auto 5 for PS3 and that will keep me busy for probably 6 months. By then, maybe there will be some interesting titles for PS4 and the price will have come down.
  
  --
  If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
2. Re:That's GREAT! by DrXym · 2013-09-04 03:56 · Score: 1
  
  I really don't get the mad rush to buy any new console. If I bought a XB1 or a PS4 at launch, at best I'd be paying a premium for a console with only a handful of games to play for months. At worst I could suffer a broken online experience, glitchy firmware (with frequent updates), and possibly even glitchy or bricked hardware.
  It took both the XBox 360 and PS3 nearly a year to gather enough titles to justify themselves as platforms and look at all the problems that the 360 had with it's ring of death and grindy DVD drives. The PS3 merely suffered from a high price but it was still a reason to hold back.
  I'm sure if either console is successful they'll still be making them 6 or 12 months down the line. No reason to rush.
3. Re:That's GREAT! by Xest · 2013-09-04 04:08 · Score: 1
  
  "I have a 360 -- the last Xbox I'll own until MS pulls their head out of their sphincters."
  Are you sure you have a 360? It's just if you actually did I'm amazed you didn't realise the update a few weeks back that eliminated Microsoft points and switched everything to real currency in preparation for this being the standard on the next gen.
  But FWIW you can buy equally silly stuff as avatar clothes on the PS3 too.
  You may well be right that this time around the PS4 will be a way better console but I think you're looking at things from a perspective where you're assuming that the grass is greener when it quite possibly wont be.
Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:13 · Score: -1

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/report-health-care-premiums-increase-125-wisconsin-due-obamacare_752709.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
"Half a million Wisconsinites will soon have to open up their pocket books for health care coverage," says a local anchor. "And new estimates show, it may be costly. ... The state's office of the commissioner of insurance released estimates of how premium rates for individuals will be changing under the Affordable Care Act."
The second anchor adds, "Yeah, for people who have no insurance or who may not have insurance those numbers show a wide range of increases- from 10-percent on the low end to as much as 125-percent. And with the requirement for individuals to have insurance set to start in less than a month, the law remains controversial."
Adds the reporter, "According to the state's office of the commissioner of insurance, there will be drastic premium increases as a result. The office compiled date from 8 cities for $2,000 deductible plans for three different age groups. The study did not include the numbers of actual estimated costs, only percentages. In Appleton a 21-year-old's cost would increase 54- percent, a 40-year-old's about 37-percent, and a 63- year-old's about 32-percent."
1. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by tompaulco · 2013-09-04 02:55 · Score: 1
  
  "Half a million Wisconsinites will soon have to open up their pocket books for health care coverage," says a local anchor. "And new estimates show, it may be costly. ... The state's office of the commissioner of insurance released estimates of how premium rates for individuals will be changing under the Affordable Care Act."
  I know, I know, don't feed the trolls. But Wisconsin? Wisconsin is already well kn own for having an extremely strong Doctor's lobby and an extremely strong Insurance lobby, which means that we poor little suckups have to pay huge insurance premiums. Luckily I was able to move away from there.
  But, in general we can expect Health Care Premiums to o up with this new legislation. After all, it requires you to have insurance. Therefore, the insurance companies can charge you whatever they want and you just have to pay it. They call it "Affordable Healthcare Act" but what it in fact does, is syphons money from your pocket into the pocket of the rich insurance industry. The quality of healthcare will go down because people can't afford to pay insurance AND go to the doctor.
  
  --
  If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
2. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 04:02 · Score: 1
  
  The health care reform requires that 80% of the revenue of any insurance company be spent on patient care, and if the company does not meet that threshold, they rebate the difference to their subscribers.
  
  That does nothing to control medical costs, so getting a Tylenol from a nurse in an emergency room may go from $150 to $375. So the doctors and medical equipment companies will get wealthier. But it does control insurance costs.
  
  Most Democrats wanted to include provisions in the health care reform to control medical costs, too, but they barely had enough votes to pass the legislation as it was. If they had added that, they would have lost a few more conservative Democrat votes, and the whole thing would have failed.
  
  But if you think our health insurance system was less broken in 2009 than it is today, you weren't paying attention. We've gone from "worse" to "bad", and I'll take that any day.
3. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DaHat · 2013-09-04 06:48 · Score: 1
  
  But if you think our health insurance system was less broken in 2009 than it is today, you weren't paying attention. We've gone from "worse" to "bad", and I'll take that any day.
  Yeah, I remember 2009... it was rather difficult driving to work each day, having to dodge the millions of dead in the streets who died because of lack of health insurance.
  Today though... you have millions losing their insurance and hours being cut as a direct result of the law... and you say we've gone from "worse" to "bad"? You do seem to have interesting definitions of words.
  
  --
  Help Brendan pay off his student loans
4. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 08:47 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah funny, my uninsured brother lost his job because he was sick and then had an emergency appendectomy, and got a $48,000 bill. He called the hospital billing department and explained that he was unemployed, and they nicely offered to cut the bill down to $36,000 if he paid it immediately. Funny, for some reason being unemployed meant he just didn't have $36,000 handy, so he's still working on that bill. Yeah, the system worked really well.
  
  In 2009 I was already paying $12,000 per year for health insurance. You call that better than what we have now? How many families can afford that?
5. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DaHat · 2013-09-04 10:26 · Score: 1
  
  I'm sorry to hear about the issues of your brother... though things like that can happen when one chooses to be uninsured.
  So what's changed?
  He could still lose his job because he is sick depending on whatever employment agreement or state laws are in place.
  At least at my company, while the premiums have remained the same, the actual out of costs expenses have gone up significant.
  You complain of paying $12k a year for premiums in '09... but failed to mention what you are paying today. Are you actually suggesting they have gone down?
  Thanks to Obamacare, we have:
  UPS dropping sources from insurance: http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/21/news/companies/ups-obamacare/index.html
  California is expecting to see premium prices increase by 64-146%: http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/05/30/rate-shock-in-california-obamacare-to-increase-individual-insurance-premiums-by-64-146/
  Even the head of the AFL-CIO (a group and leader who both campaigned hard for Obamcare) acknowledges that the law is actually encouraging employers to cut hours: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhmqLB3B5yA
  I am fortunate that at my company... rather than increasing premiums, they simply raised the out of pocket expenses like many others: http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/01/12/insurance-analysts-obamacare-to-increase-out-of-pocket-premium-costs-despite-lavish-subsidies/
  So again... what is to grand about today?
  Much of this is moot though... this is still early in the unleashing of this monstrosity. Even if successful in having everyone have coverage... how easy do you think it will be to get the treatment you need and when you need it given the built in disincentives for those you expect to treat you?
  
  --
  Help Brendan pay off his student loans
6. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 13:42 · Score: 1
  
  He didn't choose to be uninsured. His minimum wage job (at age 26 with a college degree, that was all he could find) didn't offer insurance. God bless America.
7. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DuckDodgers · 2013-09-04 13:43 · Score: 1
  
  Actually yeah, my insurance is now $11400 a year. It has gone down.
8. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 14:21 · Score: 0
  
  Both of you need to quit whining and move to a capitalist economy, with free markets for things like health care then the prices will come down.
  haha who am I kidding, you really need to live in a western country that provideds healthcare to its citizens, like well .... all of them except yours.
9. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by Ash-Fox · 2013-09-05 01:11 · Score: 1
  
  Meanwhile, other countries that have public healthcare (like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France etc) and private healthcare don't generally have these problems. Why has it turned into a mess in the United States when they had so many better working examples from first world countries to work from?
  
  --
  Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
10. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DaHat · 2013-09-05 05:29 · Score: 1
  
  Again you pick and choose the facts you wish to present.
  And yes... it was by choice, minimum wage job or not. College degree or not. Cable bill, cell phone bill, living alone or not.
  In my adult life (I'm only 33)... I have lived in 3 different states by choice, I have moved as needed in order to get a better job and have maintained an ability to be mobile during that time. All choices.
  So goes for your brother, if he chose a degree that was not going to have a good chance of quickly getting him a job, that is a poor choice on his part.
  If he was not able to cast a net wide enough to find a job, that was his choice.
  If he chose not to pursue other avenues of insurance, that again, is on him.
  Years ago when I dropped off my parents insurance but did not yet have a full time job with my employer (still an intern waiting for budget to hire me FT)... I was able to buy into the state insurance pool to keep minimal coverage in case of a major event. All choices, even down to the choice of states to live in which had that option.
  Yes... God Bless America, a place which rewards those who work hard and make good choices... and punishes those who do not.
  
  --
  Help Brendan pay off his student loans
11. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DaHat · 2013-09-05 05:52 · Score: 1
  
  Actually yeah, my insurance is now $11400 a year. It has gone down.
  So... your yearly cost went down by $600, or ~5%... good for you.
  As I highlighted above, you are one of the few fortunate ones to be benefiting from this law... the rest of us are paying much more, seeing reductions in coverage and/or hours, and more difficult time finding primary care doctors... only the surface of which of issues have we begun to see.
  
  --
  Help Brendan pay off his student loans
12. Re:Health Care Premiums to Increase Up to 125% by DaHat · 2013-09-05 06:29 · Score: 1
  
  The primary reason it has turned into a mess in the US is massive government involvement... even before Obamacare.
  Each state decided that it would be the exclusive regulator of insurance sold within a given state... there by preventing any cross state competition, which is unfortunate as previously the price difference between a basic plan in this state or that could be massive.
  Remember... I can buy a pair of jeans in California, a TV in Iowa, and a car in Florida and bring them all back to my home state and use them... yet I can't shop around to companies in different states for the best deal on health insurance (short of moving there) because the states tell me I can't.
  Worse... once each state said "you require our blessing on all that which you sell"... many then required additional goodies that must be part of a state minimum plan... fertility treatment, wigs for cancer patients, gender reassignment surgery, gastric bypass, etc.
  Sure they all sound like good & compassionate ideas... only every item that you get at a reduced price means more people will take advantage of it and force others to pay. If the insurance company thought offering X or Y would reduce long term costs, they would offer it on their own and not require a bureaucrat to force them to instead.
  This is also in addition to health 'insurance' no longer actually being 'insurance' but instead a discount program... also caused in large part by government involvement.
  
  --
  Help Brendan pay off his student loans
It's all fun n' games... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:14 · Score: 0

... until the authoritarian thugs decide to monitor you in your living room.
1. Re:It's all fun n' games... by EmperorOfCanada · 2013-09-04 02:48 · Score: 2
  
  This is a concern with a US manufacturer of a device that is often on, has a camera, has a microphone, and comes from a company that has cooperated with the stazi. If you said this a year ago you would get a tinfoil hat award. Now you just get a "Could be right". So a simple question is: After Sony suffered the hacking scandal would they allow a US agency to spy on their customers opening the door to another Scandal?
2. Re:It's all fun n' games... by nojayuk · 2013-09-04 03:45 · Score: 1
  
  "This is a concern with a US manufacturer of a device that is often on, has a camera, has a microphone, and comes from a company that has cooperated with the stazi."
  That technical specification covers every smartphone going pretty much with the additional features of location data, movement tracking outside the home, contacts lists etc. Not gonna give up your iPhone though are you?
3. Re:It's all fun n' games... by cbhacking · 2013-09-04 04:56 · Score: 1
  
  Smartphones, laptops, no few desktops, and so on. Yeah... if the NSA wants to monitor you, they can (much more easily) do it from whatever device you posted this message to Slashdot using.
  
  --
  There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
What is the real demand? by UnknowingFool · 2013-09-04 02:15 · Score: 3, Interesting

So who's still getting one? I'm not getting either but it seems MS seems to the less favorite of the two.

--
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
1. Re:What is the real demand? by CastrTroy · 2013-09-04 02:21 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I agree. Almost nobody I've talked to is interested in buying the new XBox. Even the guy I know who took the day off work to pick up and play the Wii U, and owns all 3 consoles from the previous generation is not planning on buying the XBOne. I suppose that they'll be a lot of clueless parents/grandparents who will buy it, but nobody who is really interested in gaming seems to care about the new XBox.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
2. Re:What is the real demand? by MBGMorden · 2013-09-04 02:29 · Score: 1
  
  A lot of people will probably get both.
  Personally I'm not sure which I'll get early-on (not getting either immediately though). I'm mostly an Xbox 360 player for current gen, though I'm considering buying a PS3 just to play "The Last of Us" (really wish PS4 was backwards compatible as I'd just wait and buy it instead).
  Admittedly though, with a few rare exceptions there's not enough exclusive games anymore to care which or the other I get.
  
  --
  "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
3. Re:What is the real demand? by sl4shd0rk · 2013-09-04 02:32 · Score: 1
  
  So who's still getting one?
  
  If you look at the turnout at most Xbox related (Halo) conventions, it's the parents of the kids in the age groups 5 to 14.
  
  --
  Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
4. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:36 · Score: -1
  
  I love Xbox and MS. I'm older than 15 and I'm a gamer, playing games is almost as fun as picking my boogers and tossing them at the SD page on my computer.
  Is is just me or it John Kerry the biggest hypocrite the world has even seen? I bet he picks boogers in meetings other than playing poker on his phone like yesterday.
5. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:36 · Score: 0
  
  Only the rabid fanboys and the guys that owe their loyalties to a specific game series.
  The "almost sold out" thing isn't very impressive, given their initial allotment to Gamestop was 75k. Sony by contrast is well over the 1 million mark and still taking orders; they're just no longer guaranteeing fulfillment on launch day.
6. Re:What is the real demand? by Grizzley9 · 2013-09-04 02:36 · Score: 1
  
  I preordered mine. Skipped the last gen and just had a Wii. With a young family and not much time to game it was fine. Kids are getting older and I like what MS showed off so I'm in. I'm really curious to see what can be hacked with the Kinnect2 as well.
  
  Being as they are nearly sold out of the launch date consoles, it seems to be doing just fine. I'm not a fanboy of either but the XB seemed to have more family oriented setup with the Kinnect.
7. Re:What is the real demand? by UnknowingFool · 2013-09-04 02:38 · Score: 1
  
  From my standpoint HALO seems to be one of the only advantages of Xbox One. It costs more but comes with Kinect. This seems to be reversal of PS3, Xbox 360 where the PS3 cost more but came with BluRay which was worth it at the time. I don't see that Kinect is enough of a differentiator for me. The Xbox Live service is fine but is required to get Netflix connectivity.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
8. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:41 · Score: 0
  
  Neither this nor the PS4 has backwards compatibility with the previous console, so there's really no compelling reason to stick with whatever "team" you went with last time.
  I'm going to wait until one of the two has a game that I actually give a damn about. Last gen, that happened after the first price drop!
9. Re:What is the real demand? by alen · 2013-09-04 02:43 · Score: 1
  
  we will find out when they arrive and the scalpers start selling them on ebay. with the PS3 no one was buying it and they all had to return it
10. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:45 · Score: 0
  
  With a young family and not much time to game it was fine.
  What's it like giving up a sex life and vacation?
11. Re:What is the real demand? by Nidi62 · 2013-09-04 02:47 · Score: 1
  
  I'm holding out for an Oculus Rift. EVE Valkyrie? Yes please.
  
  --
  The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
12. Re:What is the real demand? by NeverVotedBush · 2013-09-04 03:24 · Score: 1
  
  http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/ps4-oculus-rift-rival-in-the-works-as-sony-announces-head-mounted-display-1177670?src=rss&attr=all
13. Re:What is the real demand? by CastrTroy · 2013-09-04 03:29 · Score: 1
  
  I like what MS showed off
  
  Care to list some specifics here? I haven't seen anything to like. More expensive, less powerful, more restrictive than the PS4. Only possible advantage is that it comes with Kinect.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
14. Re:What is the real demand? by sunking2 · 2013-09-04 03:33 · Score: 1
  
  The millions of people with kids who were too young to care about the 360/ps4 and have held out a little bit for new consoles to come out? There will be plenty of demand for both.
15. Re:What is the real demand? by Princeofcups · 2013-09-04 04:05 · Score: 2
  
  So who's still getting one? I'm not getting either but it seems MS seems to the less favorite of the two.
  One hit exclusive and everyone will eat crow and run out and buy one.
  
  --
  The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
16. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:25 · Score: 0
  
  I am getting both consoles, but I prefer the Xbox One and that is the one going into my home office. For me, the games are better and I am interested in Kinect 2.0.
17. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:26 · Score: 0
  
  I'll be getting One, it suits me needs quite well as a casual gamer. I like the Live marketplace, the xbox controler, and many of their exclusives. I think the kinect will actually be functional in this generation - I don't understand the fear people seem to have regarding privacy.
  I don't think Slashdot is a very representative sample when it comes to consoles, my guess is that the One will do just fine.
18. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:50 · Score: 1
  
  I can try to answer that. First, the hardware is essentially identical. There is a slight difference in the video chipset that will be forgotten on day one. The Xbox OS is slightly more efficient, which will also not be noticed by most people. So the underlying platforms are very similar.
  Kinect 2.0 blows away the missing in action PS4 Eye. It's so much of a floor-wiping that you barely even hear about the topic from Sony. Unfortunately, some markets won't have full Kinect 2.0 voice recognition features at launch. Kinect accounts for most or all of the price difference between the consoles.
  The games.... it looks like 75% of the games are being released on both platforms, and let's face it -- some people will only buy the big games like C.O.D. and Madden and the like, so you could almost say that 95% of the launch games are practically the same. Later on, you'll see more platform exclusive stuff but the launches are not overflowing with choices. Quick view - expect the PS4 to continue to feature story-driven, single player games and the Xbox One to continue with multiplayer-oriented titles. I get more value out of multiplayer, but there are plenty of people who would disagree.
  You have to pay a subscription for multiplayer on both consoles now, and the vast majority of gamers will almost certainly sign up. That might be a bit of a shock for PS4 buyers who have not followed the news, but it only places them in parity with MS.
  Microsoft has a much more developed online infrastructure. Worldwide, they have deployed something like 8 times as many servers to support the Xbox as Sony has for PSN. Sony did purchase Gaikai, which allows you to stream games that are not compatible with the PS4. MS has server infrastructure that ties in to Xbox games, which the game developer can use in any way. That allows the game to (for instance) populate a virtual city with people who are constantly active, or to control a large number of non player-controlled characters in a multiplayer map. This looks like a big advantage for MS, but we'll have to see it used in games.
  That's a start.
19. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 05:09 · Score: 0
  
  I'm almost the same as that guy you know. The only difference is that I didn't take the day off for the Wii U. I own the Wii, 360, and PS3 but I'm not getting the XBox One. Generally speaking I've liked the exclusives for XBox, but I'm older now, have less time for games than I used to, and I only have 7 games for the 360 as it is. If I had payed full price for my 360, I'd probably be selling it right now rather than collecting dust and keeping it for future nostalgia...because 7 games just isn't worth it.
  PS3, on the other hand...I have had too many games to keep count, and I suspect the same will be true of PS4.
20. Re:What is the real demand? by Rude+Turnip · 2013-09-04 05:47 · Score: 1
  
  It's a Halo game by 343 Studies, not Bungie. So, it's not a real Halo game. That's what I tell myself.
  
  --
  Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
21. Re:What is the real demand? by CastrTroy · 2013-09-04 06:15 · Score: 1
  
  Only 7 games? personally, I think that's plenty of games. I don't get much time to play, but even when I do, I continually go back to the same games. Games cost $60, and there's no reason for me to spend $60 on a game that I'm only going to get 3 hours of entertainment out of. I only own the Wii from the previous generation, and I probably only play about 6 games. Mario Party 8, Mario Kart, Mario Galaxy, Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros., Zelda Skyward Sword (had Twilight Princess for GCN). I have a few other games that I play once in a while, but those 5 games take up 80%+ of my gaming time. Even when I had more time to play, I only ever had about 7 games for my NES when I was a kid, and I played those games endlessly. I really don't understand people who have 40+ games. If a game doesn't provide an experience you can keep coming back to years later, it's not worth buying in the first place.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
22. Re:What is the real demand? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 07:02 · Score: 0
  
  I really don't understand people who have 40+ games. If a game doesn't provide an experience you can keep coming back to years later, it's not worth buying in the first place.
  Well, it's the same reason for books, TV, and movies. Different people treat entertainment in different ways. Some people keep entire collections of movies. Some rent. Some wait for the TV rerun. Each individual has a different view on what's "worth" buying or not.
JFK is rolling in his grave by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:16 · Score: -1

And without a head it makes that even more impressive. Hey, if FG can do a scene with that so can I.
Top Twenty Wisecracks by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:19 · Score: -1

20. John Kerry looks like Frankenstein had sex with George Hamilton and then someone botched his plastic surgery and left a Boot in his chin
19. Incidentally, Kerry speaks French like Kerry earned all three purple hearts. He rode both of those myths for 40 years.
One of Kerry's Purple Hearts was awarded for, and I am quoting his military records, "A Case of the Mondays"
18. So a horse walked up to John Kerry and asked "Why the Botox face?"
17. Kerry's face looks like the footballs they used to use when they were too ckufing stupid to wear helmets
16. Shorter Chuck Hagel: This is the first war in ten years that the Jews didn't trick us into war so Let's Do This
15. Shorter John Kerry: Obama does not support a total remodel of Syria, but he does want to give the place some color with Accent Bombings
14. Kerry: Obama wants only a limited war, unless this mission which is designed to fail to achieve any purpose fails to achieve any purpose
13. Kerry: Obama will not puts boots on the ground, unless this mission fails, which it is expressly designed to do, and what are the odds of that?
12. Martin Bashir has the first erection he's had since he checked out Michael Jackon's Rumpus Room
11. Shorter Kerry: Can you imagine the horror of Assad being left in power which is exactly what our plan is?
10. Ambassador Rice just put out the word that Kerry's and Hagel's testimony was caused by a YouTube video
9. John Kerry: I dream of one day having a Middle East as stable and imperturbable as my forehead
8. If you took the best parts of Kerry and Hagel, you'd have one modestly intelligent man whose face didn't look like an Ogre's plunder sack
7. John McCain asked to revise and extend the footjob he was giving John Kerry
6. John Kerry: Obama knows how to distinguish Al Qaeda jihadis from "moderate democrats" just like he did in Benghazi when he hired terrorists as security guards
5. I could just sit here quoting Democrats' words to them all day but as they plainly never believed a syllable of them, what's the point?
4. Alice just emailed me to say she's going back to Wonderland because "this shit is wack"
3. Obama's getting his War Card punched like he's already got that free sandwich picked out
2. Obama's plan is just to bomb random countries until the Nobel Prize Committee gets him a green Masters jacket ...and the number one wisecrack about Kerry and Hagel's testimony...
1. Evolution of US Foreign Policy, 1946-present
1946-2000: Realism
2001-2008: Neconservative idealism
2009-2012: Neointernationalism
2013: "YOLO" Doctrine
1. Re:Top Twenty Wisecracks by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:45 · Score: -1
  
  I gotta say that McCain's actions have been the best part of this whole thing. Everyone now knows that if McCain had beaten Obama back in 2008, we'd still be going to Syria right now.
  Remember, kids, voting matters!
2. Re:Top Twenty Wisecracks by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:49 · Score: 0
  
  I'm getting a huge kick out of comparing the statements from Obama and Kerry on Syria with the statements from Bush and Rumsfeld on Iraq back in '03. Hilarious. Almost as hilarious as watching all the pro-war Republicans, you know, the ones who will still defend the Iraq war, talk about how getting involved in Syria will be a needless clusterfuck, using the exact same arguments that the hippies in 2003 were using against Iraq.
  Irony is dead.
All the Backpedaled DRM.... by Lumpy · 2013-09-04 02:24 · Score: 4, Insightful

Set to be silently put back in Januray 22 2014 with the first large software update....

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
1. Re:All the Backpedaled DRM.... by gstoddart · 2013-09-04 02:36 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Yup, they've tipped their hand as to where they're going, and eventually it will be the always on crap and everything else that pissed people off.
  I think I'm more likely to buy a spare current-gen XBox than even consider the next one.
  I just don't trust that Microsoft won't hold off a bit and then push out an update which does everything they've backed off from.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
2. Re:All the Backpedaled DRM.... by Zimluura · 2013-09-04 02:49 · Score: 2
  
  I hear that!
  The game from the last 2 gens I've played the most is Forza, and on the xbone Forza will have to download stuff before you can complete the game. So, in addition to having the console require activation, they've already gone back to activation on a game.
  I guess I'll be checking out Gran Turismo this gen.
3. Re:All the Backpedaled DRM.... by Lumpy · 2013-09-04 03:12 · Score: 2
  
  Forza kind of jummed the shark anyways. I was excited about Forza horizon, then I discovered that I paid $60.00 for 1/2 a game. I have to pony up an additional $40.00 to get the rest of it. Bite me.
  I'm done with their entire franchise. If they want to do t he DLC dance then the starting price is $30.00 not $60.
  
  --
  Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
4. Re:All the Backpedaled DRM.... by aliquis · 2013-09-04 04:31 · Score: 1
  
  They have said it will happen or what?
5. Re:All the Backpedaled DRM.... by gstoddart · 2013-09-04 05:03 · Score: 1
  
  They tried it once, and got shouted down.
  Companies don't usually take that as a cue to say "gee, that was a bad idea". They usually just try to figure out how to foist it on you eventually.
  So I'm saying I have very little confidence they won't just eventually do this as an update and tell people to eat shit once they've bought the console. I plan on skipping that step, and simply not buy the console. They can eat their own shit.
  
  --
  Lost at C:>. Found at C.
6. Re:All the Backpedaled DRM.... by Andrio · 2013-09-04 05:04 · Score: 1
  
  This is why the Xbox One has to die. It needs to be shown that consumers will not put up with the always-on/DRM BS that MS tried to pull off. The fact that they even tried it shows their intentions, and they must be punished.
  If Sony tries it down the line with the PS5--and I have no doubt that Sony would have loved to do it, but was smart enough not to--then the PS5 needs to die too. Go with the Wii-Three or whatever will be out by then. Make it clear that always-on/DRM BS will always kill the console.
  
  --
  The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity.
7. Re:All the Backpedaled DRM.... by TWiTfan · 2013-09-04 07:30 · Score: 1
  
  More than likely, it will be publishers who try it, not MS or Sony directly. EA or some other douchebag will start putting it on their games, and MS and Sony will try to blame it all on them (as if they couldn't have expressly forbade it as part of their approval process).
  
  --
  The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
8. Re:All the Backpedaled DRM.... by Zimluura · 2013-09-04 11:11 · Score: 1
  
  yeah, horizon kinda blew. not nearly enough cars. i think a review i read described the cut-scene characters as "desperately hip", that pretty much sums up the game.
Fucking Americans by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:26 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Playstation has beat Xbox to market by one week... in North America. In the rest of the world, which admittedly doesn't matter shit and would be best bombed out of existence, Xbox is beating Playstation by one week.
This just in... by wbr1 · 2013-09-04 02:43 · Score: 4, Insightful

Home audio/video monitoring device that the government can use, willingly PAID FOR by millions.

--
Silence is a state of mime.
1. Re:This just in... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 04:21 · Score: 1
  
  Home audio/video monitoring device that the government can use, willingly PAID FOR by millions.
  IPhones?
2. Re:This just in... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 05:06 · Score: 0
  
  Home audio/video monitoring device that the government can use, willingly PAID FOR by millions.
  Halo: Service Guarantees Citizenship
3. Re:This just in... by cbhacking · 2013-09-04 05:07 · Score: 1
  
  To be fair, Android isn't much better here... CarrierIQ, etc. But yes.
  
  --
  There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
4. Re:This just in... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 05:16 · Score: 0
  
  Admittedly this could be true for just about anything with a camera these days, and there are even some TVs that came out with cameras. Could also be laptops, tablets, phones, webcams, etc. It used to be the case that an LED would light up to show you the camera is on, but that doesn't seem to happen any more(except maybe with webcams).
  Though I will admit the kinect is much more invasive because it's required by the console, and it has much better optics than those other devices.
5. Re:This just in... by Suhas · 2013-09-04 17:23 · Score: 1
  
  Just like your smartphone. No wait, A smart phone is an audio/video monitoring device that also tracks your location 24/7. Of course, PAID FOR by millions.
Artificial artificial scarcity by EmperorOfCanada · 2013-09-04 02:45 · Score: 4, Insightful

Artificial artificial scarcity is going to be the name of this campaign. They don't want real scarcity as that could hurt their probably crap sales. But they want to be able to show the people lining up for days to get one. So I suspect they are going to spin this in some sleazy ways. A few sleazy ideas would be things like having a best buy in a really poor area offer the XBox at 80% off for the first 500 customers. This would then get at least 500 customers lined up for a week or more. You could also have other offers such as contests where you have a 1 in 5 chance of winning either the XBox or a trip or something. Or if worse comes to worse they could just hire actors.

Once they have the scarcity going they will do a huge PR campaign first to promote these 3 week long line-ups and then trying to get the world convinced that there are very few XBoxes in their local retailer. They could then work with the retailers to somehow do something like say 1 store in town has 500 while the other stores only have 50. Which store is it? Then people line up and all find that they were lucky enough to be at the store with 500 as they all had 500.

Lastly we are all going to be reading reviews from Console Times or other made up reviewers saying that this is a "Game Changer" and that while the PS4 is a slight upgrade that the new XBox is revolutionary, a paradigm shift, customer oriented, the only console that will survive.

But the worst is going to be in "Votable" forums like the Slashdots and Reddits; where they nodoubt have an army of voters seeking out to kill the bad reviews and promote the shill reviews. A simple example of this would be in any MS related Slashdot posting the anti MS positions are voted down initially but after a while they resurface and then become the norm. My guess is that the PR firms have a limited number of Karma points at any time and try to steer the mood at the beginning but then run out of ammunition.
1. Re:Artificial artificial scarcity by Scutter · 2013-09-04 03:13 · Score: 1
  
  The easiest way to not be a victim of this kind of marketing is to simply wait six months before purchasing a console. Don't buy it at launch. After six months, it should be obvious what's crap and what's not.
  
  --
  
  "Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
2. Re:Artificial artificial scarcity by Jmc23 · 2013-09-04 04:41 · Score: 1
  
  What colour is the sky in your world?
  
  --
  Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
3. Re:Artificial artificial scarcity by Gravis+Zero · 2013-09-04 05:15 · Score: 1
  
  But the worst is going to be in "Votable" forums like the Slashdots and Reddits
  i look forward to voting for Cmdr Taco's CardboardBox 7.
  
  --
  Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
4. Re:Artificial artificial scarcity by EmperorOfCanada · 2013-09-04 07:40 · Score: 1
  
  I don't understand? My premise is that MS is not going to generate much enthusiasm about this device. Thus they are going to have to artificially generate it.
  
  So are you saying that they won't have any problems with people wanting their device and will get genuine hype. Or that they will have disappointing sales and won't resort to underhanded tactics to try to get people hyped up.
  
  Maybe they will hire the same bunch of break dancers as they did for the Surface to inspire people to buy their dud console. My favorite Surface hype misfire was when Oprah tweeted how much she loved her Surface FROM HER IPAD!!!
  
  So my question would be: What is the colour of the sky in Microsoft's Marketing world?
5. Re:Artificial artificial scarcity by EmperorOfCanada · 2013-09-04 07:43 · Score: 1
  
  I waited even longer for my XBox 360. When they did that perma ban a zillion people sold their consoles on the used market all at the same time. So I bought one then for around $80 when used consoles sold a couple of weeks before for around $160.
  
  Doubly insulting for Microsoft as it clearly meant that I had zero desire to spend one cent on their Live product.
  
  I bought their Kinect to use in robotics projects.
6. Re:Artificial artificial scarcity by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 14:13 · Score: 0
  
  Sorry you cant do this, apple patened it already...
Meteor strike! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:48 · Score: 0

does it rule Linux^W M.U.L.E.?

well they can just fuck off then
Revolutionary by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 02:52 · Score: 0

This is a revolutionary game console that will be better than all the competition no questions asked. Everyone I know will be getting one and we'll be lining up outside our local Microsoft store to get it! I've also heard rumors that Microsoft will be giving away lots of prizes to people in lines! I can't wait!
Anniversary by devnullkac · 2013-09-04 03:16 · Score: 3, Funny

It is also the same day that the Xbox 360 launched in 2005.
It's also the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK... coincidence? Actually, yes, I'm pretty sure it's just a coincidence.

--
What do you mean they cut the power? How can they cut the power, man? They're animals!
1. Re:Anniversary by space_jake · 2013-09-04 05:44 · Score: 2
  
  Can't wait to get my XBox One Shooter bundle.
2. Re:Anniversary by halcyon1234 · 2013-09-05 06:57 · Score: 1
  
  It's also the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK... coincidence? Actually, yes, I'm pretty sure it's just a coincidence. Reply to This
  Do you think it's a coincidence that it's just a coincidence? Think about it. Really think about it.
  
  --
  UTF-8: There and Back Again
Sony to reveal PS4 Virtual Reality headset at TGS by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 03:28 · Score: 0

Custom-built headset in the pipeline; Drive Club team already working with tech

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/420136/sony-to-reveal-ps4-virtual-reality-headset-at-tgs/
and unsurprisingly by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 03:37 · Score: 1

even the "poorest" parts of America will also be sold out, as folks who have not held gainful employment in over a decade will make sure their kids have the latest toy. While coming in soon after to our offices demanding more "aid".
MS may have their collective heads up their ass... by cbhacking · 2013-09-04 04:53 · Score: 1

... but you'll buy from Sony, the company that spent the last console generation smearing *your* head with shit and shoving it up their ass? Seriously?
I mean, I can understand if you want to ignore all the anti-consumer stuff Sony said before the console launch. Most people were reasonably pissed off by it, but it's not like they actually forced you to go get a second job, they just heavily implied that anybody who thought $600 was a lot for a console was too poor to have one, etc. It's a bit of a double standard to ignore all that from back then, and then slather MS as evil for something that they said, and then went back on, before the console even launched... but whatever.
But to buy a console from the company that just a few years ago went and retroactively removed advertised features from their previous console via forced update? Especially after they then sued the people who worked to restore those features? That's anti-consumer right there. If you support a company that would do that, and has shown no sign of remorse for it, *you* are part of the problem. You are what enables companies to keep screwing over their customers, because you're too much of a "FanBoy" (your term, not mine) to hit them where it hurts in punishment for what they've done.

--
There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
What you sound like by cbhacking · 2013-09-04 05:06 · Score: 2

Right, because of the two "hardcore" gaming console manufacturers, it's always been MS who retroactively shafted their customer base with forced updates, right? ... wait, what do you mean that it was Sony who did that last time? That can't be right! Sony gave us Linux on our consoles! ... until they removed it? Crazy talk, right? I mean, that was an advertised feature on the box! They would never retroactively remove an advertised feature! ... really? They did it anyway, huh. Wow, damn. Oh well, I'm sure a bunch of hackers got together and put it back on anyhow, so no harm done. ... now you're telling me Sony filed a lawsuit against the people who put an advertised feature back into the hardware they purchased? What a bunch of dicks!
Well, fine, so maybe Sony fucked over its customers via forced updates (and lawsuits) last time, but you know it'll be MS this time. I mean, they've got a history of that kind of shit, right? I mean, I'm *sure* that there's a time before the whole PS3 OtherOS thing when MS crippled their own product with a forced update too! ... not really, huh. I guess that was kind of Sony's big "innovation" of the last few years, then.

--
There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
1. Re:What you sound like by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-05 00:03 · Score: 0
  
  So, did you personally install Linux onto a PS3?
2. Re:What you sound like by cbhacking · 2013-09-05 18:12 · Score: 1
  
  No, I've boycotted Sony since they put remotely exploitable rootkits on music CDs. I figure a person would get at least 25 years for that; I won't buy anything of theirs for at least that long.
  If for some reason I'd acquired a PS3, I certainly would have put Linux on it, though.
  
  --
  There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
consols are done by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 05:55 · Score: 1

gaming pc in room behind tv, cat5 to usb adapter to run cable through ceiling and get usb hub next to couch (wired controllers >>> wireless)
steam and a gillion other game distribution services
I'm good thanks
Why not... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 06:53 · Score: 0

Bunny Huang?
Unlike geohot, he both did and has done more in the modding scene.
I suppose being linked to MIT in any way WOULD lower your rep nowadays though...
Oh yeah by Lije+Baley · 2013-09-04 12:07 · Score: 0

They'll make billions with that scheme, just like Nintendo did with the Wii U.

--
Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
End of the consoles by Anonymous Coward · 2013-09-04 14:06 · Score: 0

Was a rabid Halo fan. Was a Sim City fan. FFXIII-3 is "... a blend of traditional RPG elements from earlier Final Fantasy games and the more action-oriented, platforming styles ...", and still console only so was a fan. Now I'll just wait for Steam for most games, with 50-75% off. I'll still be spending less even with the planned top o'the line Haswell and a pair of GTX 780's in spring. Rough estimate, I spent over $1200 on Xbox (including Xbox video) since 2005, each year.
Still happily chewing bubble gum with SC2.
cheap jordan shoes jordan shoes wholesale handbag by gaobiele · 2013-09-06 18:03 · Score: 1

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Discriminatory by Jarlsberg · 2013-09-16 18:03 · Score: 1

Man, that's really discriminatory against the outlier territories. Just saying... I'm not that keen on buying a new console on launch day anyway. They usually crap out long before they should. The only launch day console I ever bought that has never had an issue is my PS3.