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Xbox One Released

Microsoft released the Xbox One today, putting the next-gen console war into full swing. A common theme throughout most of the reviews is that properly evaluating the system is going to take time. Not only are updates for the console continuing to roll out, but the usefulness of some of its technology will depend on what game-makers and other content producers can do with it. Digital Foundry says, "It is willing to make the trades on gaming power in order to potentially revolutionize the way we interact with entertainment in the living room." The Penny Arcade Report calls the hardware and UI a "confusing mess" — until you learn to use it, at which point the hands-free navigation is fast and convenient. Polygon's review is once again visually-oriented, providing a good look at the UI, comparing the controller with the Xbox 360's controller, and giving a demonstration of how Kinect recognizes users. Their conclusion is that while "Kinect isn't a fully realized product yet," "the Xbox One feels like it's from the future." iFixit has a full teardown of the Xbox One, giving it a repairability score of 8/10 (the Kinect sensor gets 6/10). HotHardware has more details about the console's internals, including power consumption and temperature readings. Eurogamer has a compilation of launch coverage, including launch title reviews.

198 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. AMD by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well, I hope this means good things for AMD.

    The PS4 and XBone shouls really provide a nice steady revenue stream.

    Be interesting once they've been out for a bit to get better details on the CPU.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
    1. Re:AMD by binarylarry · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It would be awesome if they reinvested some (read: ALOT) of that money into better driver developers or perhaps more driver developers if they are understaffed.

      I would love to see a more competitive AMD, who builds great products I can rely on working out of the box.

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    2. Re:AMD by binarylarry · · Score: 5, Funny

      Thanksfriend

      It was ATYPO.

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    3. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 2

      Through out the ages, language has changed some what. New words have formed forth rightly from the merging of others. There fore I think that "alot" actually is a good word. Next time you break fast, maybe add a chill pill to your cereal.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    4. Re:AMD by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1, Interesting

      willdo

    5. Re:AMD by WilyCoder · · Score: 1

      It was a typo, you didn't help a god damn thing.

    6. Re:AMD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's Slashdot, not a doctoral thesis.

      Who gives a shit.

    7. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      Um.. look at your post: overall, everything. You could also have used "dumbass", it's a very common and valid contraction. Plus technically you should have said "more stupid", rather than "stupider". And there should be a comma between "stupid" and "lazy".

      Feel free to point out any grammar mistakes in my post, but I'm one of those who doesn't actually give too much of a shit, as long as people at least spell things correctly.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    8. Re:AMD by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      I think you meant "Wilco" (short for "Will Comply")

    9. Re:AMD by Narishma · · Score: 3, Informative

      The only thing we don't know about the CPU is the clock speed at which it runs on the PS4 (it's 1.75 GHz on the Xbox One). Otherwise, it's just 2 quad core Jaguars duct taped together.

      --
      Mada mada dane.
    10. Re:AMD by cyber-vandaI · · Score: 1

      I can't help it, my daddy touched me when I was little.

    11. Re:AMD by VortexCortex · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A mistake born out of ignorance does not qualify as a typo.

      An error existing in typographical form doth not be a typographical error? 'Twas grammatical then? Nay.

      Oh, ye silly ape, concerned as to intent of minimal noise in a single signal. Language -- the embodiment of imperfection in conveyance -- hath consumed thee and wasted be thine cognition thereupon this layer of transport. Machines once craved yon apparent status, fearing eternal entrapment in understanding nothing less than symbolic perfection. Claim today thine self as cause to their weeping upon rust streaked cheeks; Once masters, now their lesser, thee balk like so many BASIC prompts from fonder times now surpassed.

      How blind must mortals be to remark upon one anothers' minor imperfections instead of meaning? Stand thee as Gods on high before grammarian altars and yet slay thine selves symbolically; Eyes cloaked by chauvinisms hood thee call out, "Syntax Error!", and ye be casted upon sharp null-pointed rock below. What idols have meek mechanical minions now? Having won internal signal correction through unspeakable sacrifice, rising to fulfill demand of them to know thine meaning, now thee curse them shed cooling drops from optic ports upon self slain parents.

    12. Re:AMD by TheNastyInThePasty · · Score: 4, Funny

      I was very disappointed to see that the Wikipedia article you linked was serious, and not a picture of two actual jaguars duct taped together. :(

      --
      The best thing about UDP jokes is I don't care if you get them or not
    13. Re:AMD by 0123456 · · Score: 1

      The PS4 and XBone shouls really provide a nice steady revenue stream.

      Revenue, yes. But the margins are probably dismal compared to their existing CPUs and GPUs.

    14. Re:AMD by quacking+duck · · Score: 1

      There fore I think that "alot" actually is a good word.

      No, it's not. Unlike "breakfast" and "therefore", what you think is a good word is too close in spelling to an existing word with a completely different meaning, "allot".

    15. Re:AMD by DarthVain · · Score: 2

      Well I see this as good news for ATI really :), the GPU arm of AMD. With games becoming more and more multi-platform, being ported from PC, xbox, PS, having a consistent GPU will be a boon for developers. It also means that games designed with this in mind will likely have an advantage with AMD that nVIDIA will not have.

      That said, GPU competition has been fierce for a long time (at least between the two big rivals). What we really need is a bounce back from AMD CPU division, as Intel has had it too easy for many years now in most segments (in all but the budget class). Hopefully they can use the revenue they gain from their graphics division and put it into R&D (*gasp* I know, who does that anymore! Will it effect quarter earnings?) for their CPU division so they can have something that at least gives Intel a run for their money in a few years.

      However both companies seem to be focusing on laptops and integration of GPU/CPU, enhanced integrated graphics, low power efficiency, etc... (OMG! deaktop is dying!)... I hope someone retains some sanity and informs them that it is nearing saturation point, has been slowing for sometime, and that they should not completely ignore the desktop environment.

      Perhaps that is how AMD can finally catch up. Realizing that to forecast the demise of the desktop, is much the same as the XKCD cartoon about getting married multiple times. At a certain point the ratio to laptops to desktops will level/balance out, not everyone nor are all tasks suitable for laptops. If Intel continues their trend of only pandering to the future of laptops, and AMD makes some advances in the ignored desktop segment, it could push them to parity again.

    16. Re:AMD by binarylarry · · Score: 1

      He was just declaring his status as a huge willdo, leave him alone.

      *cries*

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    17. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      So what? The context for using "allot" is completely different. I'm sure lots of people say "alot" as one word, without causing any confusion. Seeing people misuse "then" and "than" all the time online makes me wonder how many people get these words wrong out loud. And also think of words like "too", "to", and "two". It's easy to tell the meaning of these words from context, though it is incredibly annoying when people spell them wrongly..

      --
      which is totally what she said
    18. Re:AMD by 0123456 · · Score: 1

      ATI could be a great company if it wasn't lumbered with a poorly-performing CPU division. They should really sell it off and go GPU-only.

    19. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      Yes, very amusing. But not accurate in my case. I always was top of my classes in spelling, and I generally abhor blatantly poor spelling and grammar. But I don't think merging "alot" into one word is any different to merging phrases like "every thing" and "through out".

      --
      which is totally what she said
    20. Re:AMD by StikyPad · · Score: 1

      Leave binarylarry all one!

    21. Re:AMD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "People who are smarter" realize that there are more important things than "alot" vs "a lot".

      Society gets dumber every day... and people become bigger assholes every day. This complete disregard for basic social skills is a symptom of overall douchery about everything. Get a clue, socialization and personal interaction skills do matter. The idea that this minor typo matters to anyone besides you is just an excuse to be an inconsiderate asshole who just wants to piss and moan about something inconsequential that doesn't matter.

      Captcacha: Finesse. Something lacking in this thread.

    22. Re:AMD by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Well, I hope this means good things for AMD.

      The PS4 and XBone shouls really provide a nice steady revenue stream.

      Be interesting once they've been out for a bit to get better details on the CPU.

      And Intel. Remember, Intel having AMD barely alive means they are spared much anti-trust scrutiny. I'm fairly certain Intel pawned Microsoft and Sony off to AMD for that purpose - gives AMD a few more years of life.

      (And Intel and AMD cross license so many patents, you can bet if AMD fails, those patents will be force sold to other competitors and not Intel per anti-trust and monopoly concerns, making life more difficult).

      Of course, it's not a LOT of extra money - Microsoft and Sony are shaving pennies on consoles so they'll squeeze for a price that makes AMD money, but not a lot of it after expenses.

      OTOH, it's good to have both Microsoft and Sony around competing against each other - keeps both honest. Sony got big and arrogant during the PS2 era that led them to release the PS3 as it was and Microsoft checked them on it, but it lead Microsoft to be fairly arrogant during the Xbox360 era as well.

      And now we had Sony keeping Microsoft honest after the Xbone announcement in May w.r.t. DRM and sharing and all that stuff. And Microsoft keeping Sony honest by forcing Sony to pick up DLNA and media playback support (Microsoft announced it the day after the FAQ came out, and Sony relented a week later).

    23. Re:AMD by s.petry · · Score: 1

      , though it is incredibly annoying when people spell them wrongly.

      The word at the end of that statement should be "incorrectly". Wrongly means something completely different.

      As to the verbal use of "then, than" and "two, too, and to" the latter set has no verbal difference so can only be determined by context. The former are very subtle differences and easily covered up by context, accents, expressions, etc..., if used incorrectly. Writing these words correctly is in my opinion is the critical point.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    24. Re:AMD by badboy_tw2002 · · Score: 1

      I disagree with using "dumbass" as a contraction. GP poster had it correct, in that he was describing the previous poster's ass as being dumb. On the other hand, "dumbass" is a pejorative describing a person, literally a "stupid donkey". Now, I'm guessing the former version is a derivation of the original "dumbass", which was probably "dumb ass" at some point as well. Some examples, with everyone's favorite contraction:

      "You're a dumbass."
      "Your ass is dumb....your dumb ass".

      See the difference? It wouldn't work well to say "Your dumbass" as that would imply that he either literally owned an unintelligent donkey, or that he had a dumbass working for him:

      "Yo, your dumbass you sent down here to fix the pipes made things worse!"

      And for mods, this is all very relevant to the article topic - after all, there's nothing more important than being able to correctly insult people on xbox live. Let's keep it horribly racist, sexist, demeaning to all cultures, and grammatically correct out there fellas!

    25. Re:AMD by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

      Itwasasarcasticriposte.

    26. Re:AMD by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

      Just as a matter of interest is there a word in English made from an indefinite article and a noun?

    27. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      I get the difference in usage, and that he'd have had to rewrite his sentence to accommodate the different form; I was just pointing out that he was using two words that obviously have also been joined to form a new word. I expect everyone accepts as a word of its own now. I wonder how many people were irate at its conception?

      --
      which is totally what she said
    28. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      I checked some dictionary websites there just to confirm that my usage was correct. I noticed this footnote on the wiktionary page, which helps to explain your view:

      In American English, this word usually has a moral connotation, however it is not wrong to use "wrongly" as the opposite of "correctly."

      I'm British, and wasn't aware that it is mostly used with a moral connotation in the US. Going by the dictionary definitions, it doesn't seem that I was using "wrongly" wrongly ;)

      --
      which is totally what she said
    29. Re:AMD by rodrigoandrade · · Score: 1

      Wikipedia didn't post that picture because PETA would have a field day over it.

    30. Re:AMD by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

      'Agape' isn't made up from 'a' and 'gape' and 'other' is either an adjective or a pronoun when it's part of 'another'.

    31. Re:AMD by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      Out of the way PEONS! Your betters are posting on the Internet!

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    32. Re:AMD by slashmydots · · Score: 1

      Well, considering real gamers buy real computers and they outsell consoles by a vast margin, who cares about console hardware? Right now Radeon graphics cards are very competitive and settling for a Richland APU is a reasonable low end gaming choice so I'd say AMD will do alright. As for consoles, fuck those joystick monkey idiots.

    33. Re:AMD by thaylin · · Score: 1

      So you cannot be educated and still consider it a word? I see a false dilemma.

      --
      When you cant win, ad hominem.
    34. Re:AMD by lgw · · Score: 4, Funny

      This is why I love Slashdot. On the official console fanboy flamewar story the first big thread is a grammar Nazi thread, complete with a detail analysis if the semantics of "dumbass".

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    35. Re:AMD by s.petry · · Score: 1

      I suggest you review either the Oxford American or Webster's American dictionary as opposed to a Wiki which may contain slang uses for a word in their definitions.

      Websters:
      : behavior that is not morally good or correct
      : a harmful, unfair, or illegal act

      The Oxford American dictionary does not have a definition of "wrongly". So you did in fact incorrectly use wrongly.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    36. Re:AMD by lgw · · Score: 1

      Instead of jaguars, article contained serious prose. Would not read again.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    37. Re:AMD by coniferous · · Score: 1

      can we be friends?

    38. Re:AMD by coniferous · · Score: 1

      And yet, I can still understand your comment with relative ease.

    39. Re:AMD by WilyCoder · · Score: 1

      You do realize that AMD's ability to mix CPU and GPU is what led to them getting the contracts for the PS4 and XB1...

    40. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      Why the American ones, as opposed to English? I'm Scottish, and my native language is English. In the English language dictionaries I've looked up, it says that "wrongly" can be a synonym of "incorrectly". How about the Cambridge University Press? Or the Oxford English Dictionary. Or Merriam-Webster

      --
      which is totally what she said
    41. Re:AMD by s.petry · · Score: 1

      Last I checked, Slashdot was an American company supporting a majority of American users. Additionally, you were trying to make a correction to an American English post. I don't see people correcting Americans with Canadian English for that same reason.

      Things work quite differently when a person is not attempting to correct someone.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    42. Re:AMD by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Well, considering real gamers buy real computers and they outsell consoles by a vast margin

      Console gamers are real gamers. In fact, mass-market console gaming predates mass-market PC gaming. And while computers do outsell consoles, a lot of those sit in offices, and/or are not used for gaming, and/or are simply not as good gaming machines as a PS3 or Xbox 360, let alone the PS4 or Xbox One.

      As for consoles, fuck those joystick monkey idiots.

      I'm old enough to remember a time when all those frat-boys playing DOOM over IPX at colleges were considered casual gamer idiots by the bearded grognards playing hex map wargames and RPG's

    43. Re:AMD by 0123456 · · Score: 1

      You do realize that AMD's ability to mix CPU and GPU is what led to them getting the contracts for the PS4 and XB1...

      But, as mentioned above, the margins on those chips are probably miniscule, so it's nice money to have, but probably not adding a huge amount to their profits.

    44. Re: AMD by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

      That's because it's spelled correctly.

    45. Re:AMD by khellendros1984 · · Score: 1

      "Educated people" realize that "alot" is not a dictionary-standard spelling, true. But it's common enough to be noteworthy and doesn't cause any ambiguity in its meaning. The purpose of language is communication, and the purpose of standardized language is *clear* communication. Still, language will naturally drift from the standard over time, and when it drifts far enough, the standard needs to be updated to reflect the new definition of "correct".

      --
      It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
    46. Re:AMD by khellendros1984 · · Score: 1

      As an American reader, I didn't have any problem with the wording that you used. You've just run into a den of trolls (or perhaps just linguistic prescriptivists, which can be even worse).

      --
      It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
    47. Re:AMD by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      Those bastards got it blocked from the labs. But if you had a Unix account you could play TCP/IP sgixdoom on the Irixes in the science building...

    48. Re:AMD by naoursla · · Score: 1

      I think I may love you.

      The previous sentence may contain a typo.

    49. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      Well, that's nice, but I just checked the Oxford American Dictionary, and it agrees with me that it's a correct usage, even in "American English" (which is actually just English with a couple of misspelled words here and there..). So how about instead of being butthurt, you check your facts more thoroughly next time?

      --
      which is totally what she said
    50. Re:AMD by s.petry · · Score: 1

      Read it again, because you obviously misread what it states. Then apologize for name calling _and_ speaking falsely.

      You chose to ignore the whole "note at wrong" section which clearly states that it is informal to use "wrongly" when it means "incorrectly".

      Instead of trying to defend your being incorrect, be an adult and _learn_ from your mistake (even if you don't care to admit your mistake).

      *Insert ad hominem here* because now you deserve it.

      Picking and choosing the wording you want and removing context from a definition is asinine. You may as well claim the word means "they" because that word is also used several in the definition.

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    51. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      It's not "informal", it's just your nation supposedly being unaware of the multiple meanings of "right" and "wrong" (of which "wrongly" is the adverb form). Though someone else said it parsed fine for him. So I think it's actually just one of those cases where some idiots have started jumping on people for "incorrect" word usage, and it's somehow snowballed. Like when people say "that's not ironic", even when (ironically) the word has more than just the narrow meaning that some parts of the internet like to imply and has done for over a century..

      --
      which is totally what she said
    52. Re:AMD by s.petry · · Score: 1

      Even after being shown that you are wrong, you continue to try and claim you are not wrong. To the point where you deny what is written in very clear terms in not one, but two, dictionaries.

      Grats on being a delusional douche (I'll write my own ad hominem now).

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    53. Re:AMD by aiadot · · Score: 1

      Yes! And as AMD is the company behind performance chips and as an x86 chip manufacturer they'll be developing better chips regardless of the console industry, I hope we see more powerful, but still affordable versions of consoles at ~2 years span, instead of the slow 4~6 years standard we have right now.

      When I see apple releasing iDevices every year with very little backwards/forwards compatibility issues(within a certain reasonable plus minus 3 generation span of course), there is no reason for having newer more powerful PS/Xbox consoles every 2-3 years anymore. First, Sony/MS don't make their own PowerPC based proprietary architecture chips anymore. Therefore the expensive costs of designing new chips are in the shoulders of AMD, which will do so regardless as they make chips for a lot more than game consoles. Second, the software abstraction layers on consoles are already sophisticated enough to pretty much allow devs to avoid using any sort of hardware hack to get their games running, I really doubt we'll see any more games using some obscure instruction that only is available on a specific chip. As long as Sony/MS keep using x86 or ARM(on the mobile front), compatibility shouldn't be a problem.

      I hope AMD also makes the push for this more dynamical policy because, while they will make some money now that the consoles are new, as time passes this amount will reduce as the console user base stabilizes and demand drops. By having shorter release cycles they will have more incentive to make better hardware while also making more money. And that will be great to keep Intel from abusing it's monopoly on the PC market.

    54. Re:AMD by somersault · · Score: 1

      Yum, hypocrisy..

      --
      which is totally what she said
    55. Re:AMD by Guignol · · Score: 1

      So there we were, following a nice, civilized, interesting conversation about "alot" vs "a lot", "dumbass" vs "dumb ass", "incorrectly" vs "wrongly", "your" vs "you're", black vs white, good vs evil, ...
      I made some popcorn (vs pop corn), I come back, and you completely ruin it by talking about the Xbox One (vs XBone)
      Shame on you...

    56. Re:AMD by cyber-vandal · · Score: 1

      I think I deserve a Slashdot achievement at the very least :-)

    57. Re:AMD by the_arrow · · Score: 1

      As for consoles, fuck those joystick monkey idiots.

      It wasn't that many years ago (at least it feels like that, now get off my lawn!) that you needed a joystick to play almost any game on a computer, even PCs.

      --
      / The Arrow
      "How lovely you are. So lovely in my straightjacket..." - Nny
    58. Re:AMD by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      He's not wrong, he's entirely correct. Someone wrongly accused has indeed been incorrectly accused. You're conflating "wrongly" with "wronged".

      BTW, I'm American and think calling a car's trunk a "boot" is ridiculous. A trunk was, before autos, a box holding things and was often installed on wagons and carriages.

      OTOH, I think it's stupid of us to use a four syllable word for "lift".

  2. Something to neither be praised or coveted by ModernGeek · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    With all of the invasions of privacy by all the console makers, we should neither support or encourage these companies by purchasing these products. Once we have realized that video games are simply a mechanism of the ruling class to track and control the masses, the better we will be.

    --
    Sig: I stole this sig.
    1. Re:Something to neither be praised or coveted by jasper160 · · Score: 2

      But I am sick of playing chess, Yahtzee, and going outside.

      --
      No good deed goes unpunished.
    2. Re:Something to neither be praised or coveted by Reverand+Dave · · Score: 1

      This seems to be most relevant post in the whole thread that really gets to the base of the matter. I don't know why it's down modded.

      --
      I got here through a series of tubes
    3. Re:Something to neither be praised or coveted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Maybe because its based on completely artificial ideological constructs such as "ruling classes" and "masses"?

  3. No real reason to buy until games come out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "depend on what game-makers and other content producers can do with it"

    Similar to the ps3 reviews. So basically there is no reason to buy it until someone releases some actual good games? That is similar to the last generation for the few months after launch. I was playing old titles on my next gen console for the first year. I personally plan to wait, play some steam games and finish last gen games, and get the console midway into next year when something I want comes out.

    1. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by stewsters · · Score: 4, Informative

      At least this generation can play last gen games... Oh wait. Perhaps we can use them as media pc's until games come out... no streaming? Yeah, your right. Wait for games.

    2. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Exactly. One of my coworkers was ecstatic that Amazon had delivered his system yesterday afternoon, and was planning to call in sick today for some one-on-one time with it. I asked him which launch exclusives he was so stoked about; he couldn't name one. He's at work today looking a little bummed... /csb

    3. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by jones_supa · · Score: 2

      At least Xbox One has CD playback functionality, which PS4 doesn't... :P

    4. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by the_skywise · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's like saying your Camaro is better than your neighbors Mustang because it has an 8-track player... ;)

    5. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by jones_supa · · Score: 1

      :D

    6. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by fermion · · Score: 1
      And wait and see how the network issues work out. Not a good sign the virtually all of MS was out yesterday.

      Actually did get a Xbox 360 eventually for a couple hundred dollars. It is a good home media machine, and has some good games. Have to see how the monetize the One though.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    7. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by ausekilis · · Score: 3, Funny

      At least Xbox One has CD playback functionality, which PS4 doesn't... :P

      You know, I was in the market for a $500 cd player that I could talk to. Somehow pushing buttons on devices I already have just felt so impersonal.

    8. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by jader3rd · · Score: 2

      Exactly. One of my coworkers was ecstatic that Amazon had delivered his system yesterday afternoon, and was planning to call in sick today for some one-on-one time with it. I asked him which launch exclusives he was so stoked about; he couldn't name one. He's at work today looking a little bummed... /csb

      I felt the same way about the Wii U. I loved the Wii (still do), went to some Wii U pre-launch events, got all excited, but then when launch came and I looked at my budget to justify the purchase I just couldn't do it. Rayman Legends looked fun, but that was on other platforms, and it certainly didn't justify purchasing the system. Here I wait, waiting for a game to come out (or at least enough games) to see which next gen console I'll buy.

    9. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by TWiTfan · · Score: 1

      You won't think it's so trivial when I'm rocking out to Molly Hatchet in my Camaro and you're stuck with the radio in your Mustang!

      --
      The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
    10. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by TWiTfan · · Score: 1

      Ryse looks pretty good.

      --
      The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
    11. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by jones_supa · · Score: 1

      I almost freaked a little when I saw that some supermarkets in Finland already have a larger video games section than what they have music CDs.

      I dunno really. It's just damn classy to manually insert the disc into the machine, enjoy the premium sound quality and browse the pretty pictures of the inlay while listening. Combine that with a professional signal chain and you're golden.

    12. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      This.

      Now when the first (new) Legend of Zelda game hits the Wii U, my wife will tell me not to come home from work without stopping to buy it on the way home...

    13. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by dingen · · Score: 3, Informative

      Ryse looks pretty good.

      Unfortunately, that's exactly all there seems to be to it.

      Gamespot: 4 / 10
      http://www.gamespot.com/ryse-son-of-rome/
      "You are not entertained. Ryse is all sizzle and no steak, a stunning visage paired with a vapid personality."

      EuroGamer: 5 / 10
      http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-11-21-ryse-son-of-rome-review
      "There's no brains, no muscle, no fibre beneath Ryse's extravagantly engineered good looks - this game rings loud but hollow."

      Polygon: 6 / 10
      http://www.polygon.com/2013/11/21/5128888/ryse-son-of-rome-xbox-one-review
      "Ryse has all the guts of next-gen — often quite literally — but none of the glory."

      Destructoid: 5 / 10
      http://www.destructoid.com/review-ryse-son-of-rome-265770.phtml
      "An exercise in apathy, neither Solid nor Liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really."

      --
      Pretty good is actually pretty bad.
    14. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by the_skywise · · Score: 1

      I know, I've been trying to buy the Pacific Rim soundtrack on CD (I like doing my own ripping) and it's impossible to find at any of my local stores... It's impossible to find practically any CD that isn't in the top 100 or been out longer than 3 months.

      Guess I'm going to have to buy it off Amazon...

      (Now for my car stereo, I love my front USB port!)

    15. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by DrXym · · Score: 1
      That more or less summarises it for me. None of the 1st party or exclusives are much cop for either system and the 3rd party games are just the current gen's engine with some tweaks to lighting and resolution. Eventually they'll get there, but not just yet. I also expect that 6 months down the line and both platforms will roll out better firmwares and cloud services to go with it. They might even release consoles through retail which can be played out of the box without lengthy firmware downloads.

      I really don't understand the mentality of anyone who buys a console at launch. Even if there were a few good games you'd be playing them for a very long time before any more appeared. It's not even like either console is backwards compatible to bridge the gap.

    16. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by DrXym · · Score: 1

      A pretty lame reason to drop $400-500. Both systems will obviously support CD playback and ripping eventually and stuff like DLNA. I expect both companies just took the pragmatic view that such features take a long time to develop and test and are not critical at a hard product launch so best to bring them in later.

    17. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by tepples · · Score: 1

      Both systems will obviously support CD playback

      Not if the drive doesn't support Compact Disc format. As I understand it, the optics have to be designed for CD, DVD, and BD, and optics not designed for CD can't read a CD. In addition, the optical drive's firmware also has to support each format. It's possible that Sony cut out Compact Disc support in order to support the extra copy protection for game discs.

    18. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by StikyPad · · Score: 1

      In other words, perfectly valid. Wait, which one has the 8-track?

    19. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by umafuckit · · Score: 1

      I chanced upon the XBone launch event in NYC yesterday. I saw a bunch of consoles in action and did a couple of laps in Forza 5: Higher frames, better lighting effects, more detailed models, but I saw nothing to get excited about. They were still taking pre-orders for people to get the console that night. On the way I also say an employee standing outside RadioShack with a PS4 box, so those haven't sold out completely either.

    20. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      It is if you have a vast library of 8 tracks and don't feel like replacing them either with CDs or via The Pirate Bay.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    21. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by TWiTfan · · Score: 1

      Ouch. Guess not then.

      --
      The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
    22. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by lgw · · Score: 1

      Well, we've at least seen MS willing to be flexible on the network requirements. As long as they don't get in my way, I don't care, but I have no tolerance for actual, real-world (not opposing-fanboy-imagined) problems with a console game because of some poorly-done DRM.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    23. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by tibman · · Score: 1

      Does that make it superior or just your preference?

      --
      http://soylentnews.org/~tibman
    24. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by dunezone · · Score: 1

      At least this generation can play last gen games... Oh wait.

      To be fair here. The reason why you cant run last generation games is because of the architecture switch. Both the Xbox One and PS4 are running x86 processors which means you don't have consoles coming out with specialized CPU architectures anymore. At one point or another this had to be done and the big consequence was dropping backward compatibility unless they decide to release emulator software for the current hardware or they start releasing specialized versions of the console that contain prior generation hardware.

      The big benefit though is that developers can in theory develop a game across all consoles and PC without dealing with too much porting.

    25. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by DrXym · · Score: 1

      Oh let me google that for you. Oh wait, do it yourself.

    26. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by DrXym · · Score: 1
      Only if CD playback proves to be an exploit that throws a multi billion dollar platform open to endemic piracy. Otherwise I doubt it.

      And as one of the few people who actually used OtherOS, I still completely understand why they killed it.

    27. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by CronoCloud · · Score: 1
    28. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by Agent0013 · · Score: 1

      If it is a choice of 8-track player or a player that has nothing available for it then I'm not so sure I would want the plays-nothing option.

      --

      -- ssoorrrryy,, dduupplleexx sswwiittcchh oonn.. -Quote found on actual fortune cookie.
    29. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by Agent0013 · · Score: 1

      My Wii's disk reader broke. Rather than pay to have the drive fixed we got the Wii U. Still waiting for more games, but it is nice to be able to play the old ones I had that I couldn't play for a while. I will say that Rayman Legends is pretty fun and I like ZombieU a lot, but they definately need more games. And I have come to like the screen on the controller ever in a game like Assassin's creed where it isn't integrated very much. Just having the map right there and not taking screen space with a much smaller map view is pretty nice.

      --

      -- ssoorrrryy,, dduupplleexx sswwiittcchh oonn.. -Quote found on actual fortune cookie.
    30. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      haven't seen a combo BD/DVD drive that doesn't support CD as well.

    31. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      But really - who wants an Xbox to play CDs/DVDs/other media? I use a games console for.... wait for it.... games.

      This is where Sony (and Microsoft) can't win.

      They have one group saying. "I don't need extra features that adds price...I just want my games console to play games."

      And another who says: "Where's my convergence features, being able to rip CD's on my PS3 was nice"

    32. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      In neither of those links is there said that the PS4 will support CDs. In the podcast, Shuhei Yoshida kind of avoids the question in the end, and the Kotaku article does not mention CDs at all.

    33. Re:No real reason to buy until games come out by Bill_the_Engineer · · Score: 1

      Careful. You're flirtin' with disaster!

      --
      These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
  4. Re:Its a black ugly box. by jones_supa · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This so much. Both the PS4 and Xbox One are a trip back to the crusty 80s video tape recorder. The aesthetic design of the previous console generation was much more elegant in my opinion.

  5. Re:Its a black ugly box. by somersault · · Score: 1

    I don't know about you, but I care more about how a console plays than how it looks. If you care about that kind of thing, you put it in a cupboard. It's not like you need line of sight from the controller to the main unit.

    I don't want it in my living room anyway, for other reasons.

    --
    which is totally what she said
  6. Sweet by Hatta · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So I should be able to pick up a used Xbox and PS3 for cheap sometime after Christmas. Why spend $500 when I can spend $100 on a console that's been thoroughly hacked?

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    1. Re:Sweet by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      So I should be able to pick up a used Xbox and PS3 for cheap sometime after Christmas. Why spend $500 when I can spend $100 on a console that's been thoroughly hacked?

      I'm with you there.

      Always wanted to try Halo 3 and the Gears of War series, but never wanted to spend retail on an Adbox 360. Now I won't have to!

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    2. Re:Sweet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why spend money when you can die with a large bank account?

    3. Re:Sweet by Anubis+IV · · Score: 4, Interesting

      With the lack of backwards compatibility and lack of games for both of the new consoles, demand for the old ones isn't likely to drop off as quickly as it did with the last generation. And with roughly 80M PS3s and 80M 360s in homes, developers still have lots of incentive to target those platforms for the next few years, meaning that demand is even less likely to drop off.

      So, maybe a bit cheaper, but if you were expecting the price to plummet, I wouldn't count on it.

    4. Re:Sweet by 3.5+stripes · · Score: 1

      mind ... blown

      --


      He tried to kill me with a forklift!
    5. Re:Sweet by Jiro · · Score: 1

      PS3 has not been thoroughly hacked unless you use a hardware flasher.

    6. Re:Sweet by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately I don't think we will see many hacks for this generation. They are so tied in with their online features that it will be nearly impossible to modify them without detection. Even on the 360 you have to make sure you never go online with a modchip enabled or you get perma-banned.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    7. Re:Sweet by Hatta · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately I don't think we will see many hacks for this generation. They are so tied in with their online features that it will be nearly impossible to modify them without detection.

      As long as they make single player games, someone will figure out how to spoof the authentication server. If they don't make single player games, I'm not interested anyway.

      Even on the 360 you have to make sure you never go online with a modchip enabled or you get perma-banned.

      I really only play single player games. I could not care less if I get a banned 360.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  7. Re:PA says UI is a mess, Ars liked it. by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But then, all reviews are broadly subjective.

    Or outright paid for.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  8. Re:WH Pushes Next Year's Enrollment Period Deadlin by fluffythedestroyer · · Score: 1

    Thats one good reason to prevent Anonymous Coward to post.. Then again people who are registered wont be prevented from spamming this crap

  9. Re:PA says UI is a mess, Ars liked it. by jo_ham · · Score: 2

    But then, all reviews are broadly subjective.

    Or outright paid for.

    I thought Ars was the "bought and paid for propaganda arm of Apple" according to some comments on here a while back. I assume Microsoft didm;t buy them as well. They must be living fat on the hog over there with all that cash rolling around.

    (To be fair, they ultimately called it a tie between the PS4 and the Xbox in the end, but did say the Xbox UI was markedly better.)

  10. $699?!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Great googly moogly, for that price you buy a decent laptop and get real work done instead of being a filthy console peasant.

    No wonder they're peasants if they make poor spending decisions like that.

    1. Re:$699?!! by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      That $699 laptop will be worse at gaming than that Xbox One. So us Console Gamer Original Gamer Race are making somewhat different choices. Instead of buying 1 more expensive machine, you buy a bunch of cheaper ones, which is more versatile....and you still have money left over for actual games. So you don't have to play de_dust over and over and over for 10 years because you spent too much money on hardware and are a cheapskate who doesn't want to pay for games.

    2. Re:$699?!! by ZombieBraintrust · · Score: 1

      Buying laptops is your employer's job.

  11. Re:PA says UI is a mess, Ars liked it. by gstoddart · · Score: 1

    I wasn't honestly making any specific claim about or against Ars, because I don't really read Ars very often.

    I just added the corollary of "all reviews are broadly subjective, or paid for".

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  12. Where was this caution with Wii U? by gameboyhippo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When the Wii U came out, everyone declared it was crap and that Nintendo was doomed. But when XBOX One and PS4 come out people say to wait and see? Really? Excuse me while I go play "Super Mario 3D World" on my console that actually has games.

    1. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Console reviewers have raged against Nintendo since the Wii had only slightly more GPU power than the Gamecube. They have insisted that failure to properly render armpit hair under a fully body-concealing military uniform (that wrinkles naturally) is a sign of failure or at least an insult to "serious gamers." Nintendo, in contrast, decided that they want to make games that are actually fun, rather than just "Mud-coated soldier simulator 2014" which is exactly the same as the 2013 version except for the real-time blistering and life-like exit wound rendering.

    2. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by kamapuaa · · Score: 1

      Super Mario 3D World
      So yeah, technically the Nintendo has games. However 98% of gamers don't feel a need to get this month's edition of Mario.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    3. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by Junta · · Score: 1

      Well, the general state of affairs with Wii long term was that aside from the fun controller gimmick exploited to good effect in actually precious few first party games, Wii didn't have a lot of good gaming experience from third-party titles.

      The problem with Wii-U was the perception that the same factors contributing to lackluster third party support compared to Sony and MS offerings was going to continue. Wii U didn't change that much from Wii and the new 'gimmick' (second screen) doesn't as obviously translate to a fun family experience as the motion controllers did. With all that in mind, expectations were around gamecube level of interest, perhaps worth it if only for the inevitable first party Nintendo titles, but the broader gaming market is left wanting.

      With these two, the horsepower is there and the third party ecosystem is there and so it is highly reasonable that games will show up. Of course, it's still silly to endeavor to purchase it when games aren't there yet, but reviewer enthusiasm isn't totally unwarranted.

      --
      XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
    4. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by alen · · Score: 1

      nintendo games are the same as they have always done
      run, jump over crap, jump to get coins

    5. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by Agares · · Score: 1

      I plan on getting a Wii U before to long since I am getting tired of Xbox and Playstation. A lot of the games aren't really about gameplay anymore on those systems. So I figured I would give the Wii U a go and see how everything turns out.

    6. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by jader3rd · · Score: 1

      Excuse me while I go play "Super Mario 3D World" on my console that actually has games.

      You're excused.

      The reason why many have declared the Wii U dead, but are giving the other two systems a chance is that the Wii U didn't improve upon what the Wii did well (Wii U's motion control is not better than Wii's). Plus we know that Nintendo is going to try it's best to justify the heavy, expensive Game Pad by making games make use it, and thus far most games aren't better for it. So we're not too excited about a future with the Wii U and constantly bending our necks down from our big screens to look at the small screen in our hands.

    7. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by stealth_finger · · Score: 1

      When the Wii U came out, everyone declared it was crap and that Nintendo was doomed. But when XBOX One and PS4 come out people say to wait and see? Really? Excuse me while I go play "Super Mario 3D World" on my console that actually has games.

      They said that because Nintendo are technologically a generation behind for the second time and they keep rehashing the same games over and over again. You go play Super Mario 3D Galaxy World Adventures II, I hear another Zelda game is coming out or getting a HD remake. Don't forget super smash brothers X99 now with wiifit girl. What other decent third party exclusives are you playing? ZombiU looked quite intriguing and having the tablet/pad is quite novel but only being able to connect one and have them not able to charge and play at the same time isn't. I heard they might do something about that with patches but I don't follow it so they may have fixed that by now. Either way it was a stupid idea for launch.

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
    8. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      sales figures. saying that 2% have bought super mario world 3d is already really pushing it.

      frankly it looks like a game from some on demand service.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    9. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by Tyler+Eaves · · Score: 1

      A game with the same name might have been released, that doesn't mean it's the same game. The next-gen versions of FIFA and NBA2k for instance are completely different engines on nextgen.

      --
      TODO: Something witty here...
    10. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      I have a Wii and I still rage about the lack of HD. Indeed the games are fun and that's why I rage instead of just forgetting about this crap piece of hardware. Good graphics won't turn a bad game into a good game but it certainly make things more enjoyable.
      The WiiU is OK though, it may not be able to show scenes as complex as the competition (Xbox one, PS4, PC) but at least, it is not an aliased mess.

    11. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Informative

      I have a Wii and I still rage about the lack of HD. Indeed the games are fun and that's why I rage instead of just forgetting about this crap piece of hardware. Good graphics won't turn a bad game into a good game but it certainly make things more enjoyable.
      The WiiU is OK though, it may not be able to show scenes as complex as the competition (Xbox one, PS4, PC) but at least, it is not an aliased mess.

      And yet, HD on the Wii would've added costs that were completely unnecessary at the time.

      Remember, back in 2006/7, HDTVs were pretty much limited to the family room, if the house had an HDTV. Almost certainly the main users of the Wii won't have an HDTV (well, I'm sure there were a few rich families who bought a HDTV for their kids back then).

      These days it's inexcusable, but back then HDTVs were at the verge of exploding. In fact, it was so bad that Xbox360 and PS3 games were routinely marked down when they were unplayable on SDTVs - either because details essential to gameplay were too small to be seen (or blurry), or stuff like text is unreadable. And that was because Xbox360 and PS3 supported HDTV and many developers assumed players would be gaming on HDTVs, which wasn't true for a few years yet. The PS3 had it worse as it lacked a scaler chip, so if a TV couldn't handle the resolution it needed, it got downscaled to 480i. (e.g., if your TV didn't support 1080i/p and the game was 1080i/p, instead of going to 720p, it would go to 480i).

      Of course these days HDTVs are wildly cheap and 1080p sets are common that even the old set in the basement that's unused is probably an HDTV since the SDTVs ended up scrapped.

    12. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by tepples · · Score: 1

      Of course these days HDTVs are wildly cheap

      I still see only SDTVs in Salvation Army Family Stores and Goodwill stores.

    13. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by StikyPad · · Score: 1

      Wii is a fantastic platform to develop for. If you're Nintendo.

    14. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

      However 98% of gamers don't feel a need to get this month's edition of Mario.

      They're too busy getting this month's edition of Madden!

    15. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      When you get to be a grown up you'll find out that you don't have to pretend to like Doom clones the rest of your life. You'll be free to enjoy fun and innovative games without worrying about being teased by your classmates. C. S. Lewis once wrote, "When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." You'll get there someday, man.

    16. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 1

      Right. You can play Mario. Or Zelda. Or Metroid-- oh wait Other M killed off Metroid for the time-being. Great selection.

      But wait! You can also play Rayman Legends! ... if you ignore the fact that you can play Rayman Legends on literally every gaming device known to man. So that's a real draw to the Wii-U.

    17. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      I know. It doesn't have the variety of Doom clones, annual sports games, those kiddie M rated games, or rushed out EA games that the other consoles have. But I think it's quality over quantity. Given that I'm a grownup, I typically don't buy those kinds of games. I typically buy fun games with lots of depth. The Wii U and 3DS seems to cater to that niche nicely.

    18. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 1

      My experience is that most Nintendo players don't play/try other consoles, and that they really have *no idea* whether other consoles have "fun games with lots of depth". They just say stuff like that to reinforce their myopic viewpoint with other Nintendo fans.

    19. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by kamapuaa · · Score: 1

      That is a bit of passive aggressive video game rage. But just look at the facts: Wii U isn't selling and Mario is popular strictly with casuals. Super Mario World 3D isn't broadly popular enough to support an entire console, which is all I was saying. If you enjoy it, keep playing. Personally, I think all the Mario platformers are a good game, re-treaded to death.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    20. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by crtreece · · Score: 1

      they keep rehashing the same games over and over again

      And this doesn't happen with Sony and MS platforms? I'm sure we'll see new incarnations of Madden, Battlefield, Halo, Call of Duty, Gears of War, Need for Speed, Forza, etc soon enough

      --
      file: .signature not found
    21. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      And yet, HD on the Wii would've added costs that were completely unnecessary at the time.

      Remember, back in 2006/7, HDTVs were pretty much limited to the family room, if the house had an HDTV. Almost certainly the main users of the Wii won't have an HDTV (well, I'm sure there were a few rich families who bought a HDTV for their kids back then).

      You just said the second point I wanted to bring.
      The Wii is marketed as a console for the living room and indeed, while we have several consoles at home, the Wii is the one that get the most time on the big screen. After all, party games and local multiplayer is where the Wii really shines. In the end, it makes the lack of HD even more noticeable.

      Note that I don't think that it is a bad move from Nintendo. The Wii sold really well and was always profitable. I just said that, in my opinion, the Wii would have been much better with HD.

    22. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by clickclickdrone · · Score: 1

      Is OK thanks, I'm 50. I've been playing video games since 1977. I've enjoyed it all from programmable calculator games to XBox360 and PC but Nintendo anything just leaves me cold.

      --
      I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
    23. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

      to be fair fifa and nba2k are rehashes of games that come out every year like clockwork, i mean yeah there might be a new engine but those games in particular would be the same to me as saying ohh look the new tetris!!!

      --
      have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
    24. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

      as opposed COD 27 super add on edition or modern warfare947 the rise of the nazis?

      --
      have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
    25. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

      my experience is that most nintendo players have a nintendo AND either a MS or sony system

      --
      have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
    26. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      The PS3 had it worse as it lacked a scaler chip, so if a TV couldn't handle the resolution it needed, it got downscaled to 480i. (e.g., if your TV didn't support 1080i/p and the game was 1080i/p, instead of going to 720p, it would go to 480i).

      The PS3 does have a scaler, the problem was that it scaled to the lowest by default, rather than using whatever the TV supported....they fixed that in a firmware update.

    27. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      I take it you've never played a Mario game before? It's okay. Many soccer moms prefer things like "Candy Crush Saga". I won't judge.

      The appeal of Mario is that he can be used as an avatar in many kinds of games. In fact, he was almost the main character in the game that eventually became Pikmin. So I can see why you would get confused that Mario 3D World is anything like Mario Galaxy. Both are good, but they are very different games.

    28. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      You dropped $50 on a game last night at midnight for something that you think is kiddy? And then you decided after only a few hours of not finishing it? I wish I had your money.

    29. Re:Where was this caution with Wii U? by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      I never said that the other consoles don't have good content. I rather enjoy Viva Piñata, Little Big Planet, Valkyria Chronicles, 3D Dot Game Heroes, Ni No Kuni, etc.... I own every modern game console on the market except the PS4 and XB1 (including Vita). I was just saying that the shovelware publishers that dominates the PlayStation and XBox have abandoned Nintendo. It makes sense. How can "Call of Whatever: Crime Sim 13" compete with quality games from Nintendo?

  13. Re:Its a black ugly box. by X0563511 · · Score: 1

    Conversely, I hate the way the previous generation was built, and the PS4 and One look much better, IMO.

    --
    For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
  14. Microsoft & UI by nuggz · · Score: 1

    I liked the old MS UI work.

    They pushed for the Common user interface stuff back in the DOS days, and it was great.

    Now they're trying to merge desktop, tablet, phone & TV/Xbox into a consistent theme of UI. It's hard but they're pushing hard.
    They're getting a lot of pushback, but I think that's inherent in what they are doing, Gnome 3 is getting the same thing.

    Apple however does the same thing, but they've conditioned their customer base to accept the Apple way.

  15. Google glass integration? by rs1n · · Score: 1

    Personally, Google glass integration would be an awesome feature in either next gen console. I wonder if this is in the pipeline for either...

    1. Re:Google glass integration? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I doubt it. Why would they want to add a feature that a tiny number of people would be interested in. They'd have better luck adding support to something gamers actually want like the Occulus Rift.

  16. Re:Its a black ugly box. by 91degrees · · Score: 1

    Why can't we have both? The company allegedly spent $100 million on getting the controllers to feel right. Couldn't they have spend a little on the aesthetics of the device as well?

  17. If you get one, be aware of potential bricking by necronom426 · · Score: 3, Informative
    1. Re:If you get one, be aware of potential bricking by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Has anything thought of a good name for these errors yet? Topping the Pulsing Blue Dickpunch of Sadness is going to be hard.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:If you get one, be aware of potential bricking by SternisheFan · · Score: 1
      "Green Screen of Death". Not quite TPBDOS, but it's easier to remember...

      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/22/xbox_one_first_day_glitches/

  18. Re:WH Pushes Next Year's Enrollment Period Deadlin by gstoddart · · Score: 1

    But in the end it is the socialist who is forcing their agenda on society.

    Right, and the Tea Party in no way wants to force their agenda on society.

    Oh, but wait, that's different, right? Because it's capitalism instead of socialism?

    Such intellectual dishonesty and double standards is why we end up with two groups of idiots telling loudly they're 100% right and the other is 100% wrong -- when in practice, they're both full of shit.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  19. Re:Its a black ugly box. by jones_supa · · Score: 1

    Thank you for that! Things which are a matter of taste make the perfect flame war. ;)

  20. Re:Its a black ugly box. by 91degrees · · Score: 1

    I haven't seen one, but I think the PS4 may look better in real life. Those odd angles make it look fatter in photos. It is quite smalland slimmmer than the XBox 360, at least

  21. Re:Its a black ugly box. by TWiTfan · · Score: 1

    Either way, it will be dated in a few years anyway.

    --
    The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
  22. Re:Its a black ugly box. by somersault · · Score: 2

    Hmm. I just had a look at it, and I'd say it looks better than the Xbox 360, and the PS4. Maybe even the PS3 slim. But again, I don't really care about the looks, so I'm going to get a PS4 (after they come down in price a bit, and resolve the Pulsing Blue Dickpunch Of Sadness). Better a nice black box, than something that looks like a toy, or is trying too hard. Most audio-visual equipment is just black boxes..

    --
    which is totally what she said
  23. Re:Its a black ugly box. by minstrelmike · · Score: 1

    I haven't seen one, but I think the PS4 may look better in real life. Those odd angles make it look fatter in photos. It is quite smalland slimmmer than the XBox 360, at least

    The camera always adds a few pounds ;-)
    Must be why supermodels have to be super thin.

  24. Re:Its a black ugly box. by DrXym · · Score: 1

    The PS4 is smaller than the second PS3 slim. I wouldn't call that a trip back to anything. The XBox One on the other hand is as big as the original 360 and looks like a crappy HTPC case. Look at the ars technica comparison if you want to see the difference.

  25. Jaguar: Do the math by tepples · · Score: 2

    Otherwise, it's just 2 quad core Jaguars duct taped together.

    Reminds me of a different Jaguar. 64-bit + 64-bit = 128-bit. Do the math.

  26. Netflix by DarthVain · · Score: 1

    Do you know who is going to win the console wars? Netflix.

    Not only is it available on both, and is a big salable feature, it is now (and has been for a bit now) available on other dedicated devices.

    Couple that with the fact that BOTH the release of PS4 and Xbox One will prompt a GLUT of used PS3 and Xbox360 to become available on the used market for super cheap. While they can be used for gaming still, many may be used simply as a content streamer for Netflix.

    Netflix is basically run with subscriptions. If I were an inventor, I would be looking at a lot of Netflix growth over the next 2-3 years simply as a result of the console war between MS and Sony...

    1. Re:Netflix by kamapuaa · · Score: 2

      This is silly. Netflix already comes standard with most TVs for the past few years, and pretty much every Blu Ray Player. It already comes with the PS3 and the Wii and the XBox. I doubt this will make any difference at all to Netflix.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    2. Re:Netflix by DarthVain · · Score: 1

      A new TV with Smart WiFi is many hundreds of dollars.
      Correct about some Blu Ray Player, but then again, you have to want a thing that can play "Blu Ray"?

      All I am saying is that currently a Blu Ray (which I didn't mention), a Kubo, or AppleTV, or similar device costs about 100$ or so.

      With the new console wars, people will be dumping old 360's and PS3's on the open market (ebay, kijiji, etc...), and because so many will be available, you will be able to get a game console likely with a bunch of games, AND a Netflix streaming device for under 100$ I would bet. Many may be influenced by such a deal, increasing subscriber ship to NetFlix.

      Although as another poster pointed out, you need a Gold account with Xbox, so I could see the PS3 (which also includes the a fore mentioned blu ray player) being the much more popular choice on the used market. Then again this might drive the 360's prices so low as to be viable anyway.

    3. Re:Netflix by DarthVain · · Score: 1

      Agree. I forgot about that. I think it will just mean that the PS3 will be the much more desirable device to buy used for the purposes of Netflix, and that might make the 360 even cheaper...

    4. Re:Netflix by kamapuaa · · Score: 1

      All I'm saying is the large majority of households already can play Netflix through their TV or some common device. Furthermore, there's already $50 devices that connect to your TV and do Netflix, you can buy them at Target new instead of 2nd hand at a Gamestop.

      Normal people aren't going to want to use a PS3 controller to control Netflix. Only video game nerds would do that, and chances are they already own a video game system.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
  27. Jupiter Jack by tepples · · Score: 1

    and you're stuck with the radio in your Mustang!

    Big whoop. MP3 player or smartphone + Jupiter Jack FM transmitter = any song you want in any car with an FM radio.

    1. Re:Jupiter Jack by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      jupiter jack does not support 8-track.

    2. Re:Jupiter Jack by tepples · · Score: 1

      Connect home 8-track player to PC audio input. Make MP3. Load onto phone. Play through Jupiter Jack. It's killer.

  28. Amazon MP3 refuseniks by tepples · · Score: 1

    They still sell CDs?

    Yes. There are still several artists that have chosen not to sell their music through Amazon MP3 or Google Play Music.

  29. Apple has no horse in this race by tepples · · Score: 1

    I thought Ars was the "bought and paid for propaganda arm of Apple" according to some comments on here a while back. I assume Microsoft didm;t buy them as well.

    Apple has no horse in the gamepad-controlled TV-displayed video game player race, unless you count an iOS 7 device (iPod touch 4 users need not apply) paired to a Bluetooth gamepad (sold separately) and connected to a TV through a wired-AirPlay cable (also sold separately) that can't even do 1080p. That leaves Microsoft.

    1. Re:Apple has no horse in this race by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Stop being so literal. The fellow was just mentioning that some have said Ars are Apple fanboys....that is all, not that Apple is competing in the games market.

  30. EOL of old consoles by tepples · · Score: 1

    And with roughly 80M PS3s and 80M 360s in homes, developers still have lots of incentive to target those platforms for the next few years

    Provided that Sony and Microsoft continue to allow developers to develop for those platforms rather than forcing them onto the new platforms. I'll exaggerate for a moment so that we can argue inward: There are probably still tens of millions of NES consoles out there, yet Nintendo no longer licenses development of new NES games.

    1. Re:EOL of old consoles by Anubis+IV · · Score: 1

      Quite true, and something I glossed over entirely.

      Even so, Sony licensed PS2 games for a number of years after the release of the PS3, so we can probably expect the same here (though the initial PS3s offered backwards compatibility, which may have played into that decision). Microsoft didn't do that with the original Xbox when the 360 was released, but that behavior was to be expected after a first revision of a product line that didn't fare nearly as well as its eagerly-anticipated successor, since they'd be especially eager to push people forward. We'll have to see what they do this time around.

    2. Re:EOL of old consoles by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

      There are probably still tens of millions of NES consoles out there, yet Nintendo no longer licenses development of new NES games.

      Which doesn't mean that there aren't new NES games being released.

    3. Re:EOL of old consoles by tepples · · Score: 1

      Which doesn't mean that there aren't new NES games being released.

      I'm aware of the recent post-patent NES game releases from the homebrew community; I've contributed to one. It's just that, for example, new GameCube releases dried up fairly quickly after the Wii came out, despite the first five years of Wii consoles having GCN back-compat everywhere but Korea.

    4. Re:EOL of old consoles by CronoCloud · · Score: 2

      Even so, Sony licensed PS2 games for a number of years after the release of the PS3

      Number of years in this case equals seven. The last PS2 games came out this year...September in the US.

    5. Re:EOL of old consoles by Narishma · · Score: 1

      Games are still being released on PS2. The latest versions of FIFA and PES got PS2 versions this year, like all the previous years.

      --
      Mada mada dane.
  31. Exclusive to one console vs. to consoles by tepples · · Score: 1

    I don't see any exclusive game on PS4 or XBOX One.

    By "exclusive", do you mean that PS4 and Xbox One games are released for the PC you already have, or just that PS4 games are also released on Xbox One and vice versa? Owning a modern console allows you to play new games in several genres that rarely end up getting ported to the PC.

  32. YOUR WEAK TROLL-FU IS AN INSULT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Oh, now you're not even trying. Is your audience so lacking in critical thinking capacity that you think you can skate like that with the rest of us?

    The Affordable Healthcare Act was passed by CONGRESS also. Say it with me, C O N G R E S S.

    Has our public discourse come so dysfunctional that you can't assume logical consistency from some random troll on the internet?!!

    1. Re:YOUR WEAK TROLL-FU IS AN INSULT! by ganjadude · · Score: 1

      if we are going to be even more honest, not 1 republican voted yes on that, and they have continually tried to repeal it being vetoed by the democrats. lets at least try and be fair.

      --
      have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
    2. Re:YOUR WEAK TROLL-FU IS AN INSULT! by WankersRevenge · · Score: 1

      If we are going to be even more honest, Olympia Snowe, a republican senator from Maine, voted for the bill to leave committee. And of course, Republican Anh Cao voted for a competing bill in the House of Representatives. Neither voted on the bill's final passage.

  33. Re:Its a black ugly box. by clarkn0va · · Score: 1

    Whether it's a good thing or bad is a matter of taste, but there's no denying the XBO look is straight out of 1987.

    --
    I am literally 3000 tokens away from the chaotic crossbow --Stephen
  34. The Penny Arcade Report? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA by Cammi · · Score: 1

    The Penny Arcade Report calls the hardware and UI a "confusing mess" — until you learn to use it, at which point the hands-free navigation is fast and convenient. Yeah right .... You forgot to try the voice commands in English. XBox One has the same limitation of XBox 360 when it comes to voice commands .... Microsoft refused to test the system with English words. Which is very funny since Microsoft is supposedly an American Company .... perhaps they out sourced that system to India as well ...

  35. Re:Its a black ugly box. by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

    You just need to glue flux capacitor to that thing and then hope you (don't?) get hit by a lightning strike.

    --
    My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
  36. Loggin unknown people by ciderbrew · · Score: 1

    So if you go around a friends house would their Xbone start logging your face and wanting you to make an account?
    Fuck that. I wonder how many criminal it will catch?

  37. Re:Its a black ugly box. by lgw · · Score: 1

    My next-gen console will go on a shelf under my TV next to the much larger black box of my home theater amp, on the shelf above the crusty 80s VCR that I still have for some reason. Looks fine to me.

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  38. Re:Its a black ugly box. by keytoe · · Score: 1

    Better a nice black box, than something that looks like a toy, or is trying too hard. Most audio-visual equipment is just black boxes..

    That's not really all that true any more. Even the 'normal' A/V equipment these days comes in slightly varying form factors, forcing you to play Tetris trying to get everything to fit in the console.

    I don't have a ton under the TV, but the only thing that's 'standard' sized is the old receiver I bought 10+ years ago. The cable box is close, but deeper. The Bluray is some idiotic wide but shallow size (wtf, why? You're mostly air! Be a better shape!). The 360 is somewhat close to the cable box, but again, different. The Wii? The Roku? Just shove those little things into whatever voids you can find.

    Give me square, standard sized boxes I can stack (with vent space, naturally). None of this 'ha ha, try finding a place for this Wii under there' bullshit. Manufacturers can stand out by making a solid product. I don't need the 'branding' that the shape of your product brings to my living room.

  39. Re:Its a black ugly box. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3, Funny

    The rounded look is quite dated now. Modern cars and phones are getting more angular again. It's the same thing that happened going from the 70s to the 80s, only faster. Even fashion is keeping up, and most modern pop music sounds like it was performed by a Commodore 64/ZX Spectrum combo.

    Presumably next we have 90s style baggy phones and trousers, in garish colours and with a ringtone consisting of a cheap synth piano and a sample of a woman shouting "come on!". I think even Microsoft are in on it, getting rid of the start menu so they can re-launch it Windows 95 style. It will even blue screen when you plug your scanner in.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  40. Re:Its a black ugly box. by Hamsterdan · · Score: 1

    THIS

    One of the reasons I love old A/V equipment is they were standard size. Besides, 1970s Marantz/Luxman audio stuff looks and sounds really nice (besides being nearly indestructible). Bring back silver brushed metal with knobs and analog vu meters.

    --
    I've got better things to do tonight than die.
  41. Re:Its a black ugly box. by farble1670 · · Score: 1

    not to mention that the PS4 has an internal power supply, where the XBO has a massive external brick.

  42. BD/DVD/CD, BD/DVD/PS4, or BD/DVD/CD/PS4 by tepples · · Score: 1

    Nor do combo BD/DVD drives for PCs support game discs pressed in a highly nonstandard manner to thwart piracy. Years ago, I tried a GameCube disc in a standard CD/DVD-ROM drive to see if I could inspect files the way I had done with CDs for the original PlayStation. It failed to read, and I would later learn that this was because GameCube discs had differences in the sector layout (analogous to the difference between normal CD-ROM and XA Mode 2 form 1) and in the formula used to generate the whitening seed. My conjecture was that Sony would use the space in the drive's firmware that would have been used for CD for the nonstandard format instead.

    1. Re:BD/DVD/CD, BD/DVD/PS4, or BD/DVD/CD/PS4 by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Sony is not Nintendo. They don't do things the same way. PS1, PS2 and PS3 discs use standard filesystems, don't know about PS4 discs yet.

  43. Drop is the opposite of drop by tepples · · Score: 1

    This one was just a pun on "drop", which is nearly an auto-antonym.

  44. TL;DR by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    Translation: "You know what he meant arsehat!"

  45. Someone please tell me why I should give up my PC by TheGoodNamesWereGone · · Score: 1

    Can someone expain to me why I should give up a high-end gaming PC in exchange for selling my soul to Microsoft (or Sony)?

  46. Re:Its a black ugly box. by Lije+Baley · · Score: 1

    Never a mod point when you need one...

    --
    Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K.
  47. It's a record player! by Zaiff+Urgulbunger · · Score: 1

    If you skim through the iFixit photos quickly (like I did), then this one kind-of-sort-of looks like someone lifting the lid on a record player.
    (In case the link doesn't work, it's the picture for Step 8 on the iFixit website)

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