Live data from Hacker News

Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

techcrunch.com

71–80 of 165 posts

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#71
post #39

As someone actually interested in playing games (and I know that may make me a minority here), this was the best commercial there will likely ever be for the Sony PlayStation 4.

Yes, before I saw your comment, I was going to post something similar. I am also one of those weirdos who just wants a really powerful and reliable gaming console. No muss, no fuss, no "social", no voice-activated doo-dads, just really good games and not much else.

I'm afraid that even in the console world the gamers are now becoming a minority, Nintendo opened the way and now the others follow, the "hardcore" , whatever that means, gamers are a minority, you need them for the launch and some games but they are really an small proportion of the possible customers.

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Normally I'm against do-everything devices, but IMO this is a stroke of genius. Everything about operating a TV today is pure pain . The centerpiece here is an obtuse, 100-button remote that no one fully knows how to use. You use this remote to get at the "mode switcher", which changes you from TV watching mode, to bluray watching mode, to gaming mode, to whatever else you do with your TV. It's painful, not to mentio…

You're still going have a layer of terrible user interface where you're picking through all the kitchen-junk-drawer full of items that Microsoft has packed into this device. It won't be labeled "Video 1, Aux 1", true, but you'll still have to pick through every time you want to use the system. Probably end up being more of an interface problem, actually. Power on, wait, skip special offers from Microsoft, no I don't…

Oh come on, no console - including the 360 - has ever been like that. There has never been an anti-virus, much less one that prompts you at startup. Console software updates are few and far between (twice a year on MS's schedule), not to mention it looks like they're doing more and more in the background.

Nor has Microsoft or Sony ever held up anything so you can watch a special offer. This is just FUD.

Go watch the keynote, they cover all of this. They're betting on voice control lowering the "depth" of the UI. Instead of "TV -> live TV -> Sy Fy -> Star Trek" it's just "go watch Star Trek", ditto for on-demand, ditto for sports, ditto for games even. Everything they showed today indicates single-action-to-final-destination.

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#73

Most people I know who own a PS3 consider it essentially a blu-ray player. Most people I know who own an Xbox consider it essentially a Netflix player. These people bought games, but they don't really play them. I've got naught but my anecdata, but I think attempting to bill this new console as an entertainment system that happens to also play some great games is a very, very good idea.

Why? They just alienated gamers while showing non-gamers that they've been overpaying for a glorified Netflix machine. I've been a diehard Xbox fan since I first got my hands on the original, but this makes me want to switch back to Playstation.

What more do you want them to tell you as a gamer about the new system? They released specs and talked about the cloud gaming capabilities. Having more 3rd party game makers demo games for the system doesn't really improve my appeal to the console.

I already knew the new xbox would be the next gaming console. It seems like they went for the non-obvious, and wanted to talk about the other features. The games are going to be the draw for gamers, and I'm sure those will be just fine.

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#74

Most people I know who own a PS3 consider it essentially a blu-ray player. Most people I know who own an Xbox consider it essentially a Netflix player. These people bought games, but they don't really play them. I've got naught but my anecdata, but I think attempting to bill this new console as an entertainment system that happens to also play some great games is a very, very good idea.

Why? They just alienated gamers while showing non-gamers that they've been overpaying for a glorified Netflix machine. I've been a diehard Xbox fan since I first got my hands on the original, but this makes me want to switch back to Playstation.

How did they alienate gamers? Gamers know first and foremost that XBox is a gaming console. They should especially know that after being shown the demo of CoD Ghost. This really is a great move for them, as gamers see the benefit of additional functionality and non-gamers see an intriguing entertainment platform.

I'm a diehard PC fan though so I probably won't get a console anyways

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#75
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. Awesome, eh? I own a 360 but I don't use it anymore.

Is this true for Xbox One as well?

Not announced yet but I'd be surprised if they give up that cash cow.

The only thing they said is that Xbox Live will continue to be based around the subscription you have now. So, Xbox Live will still cost $50/year. What services require Xbox Live on the Xbox One is not announced yet but based on the 360 the answer is probably almost everything.

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#76
For me...the first xbox really rocked my world. I dropped in a mod-chip, used XBMC and my eyes for a home-entertainment system that can read digital files were finally opened.

I haven't used an optical disc for a movie since.

I used the original XboX, then transitioned to 360, then to PS3 - now my PS3 does what all of my previous xboxes did.

But....the truth is, with the 360, I was so blown away by how easy it was to connect to all my MSFT networked devices that I would gladly give this new xbox a chance to rock my world again.

MSFT has really gotten XboX right. Every. Single. Time.

I hope they don't try to lock down this one - where you can't play 'pirated content' and they have some hardware DRM or some bullshit like that.

That's the only reason I will wait until others try it out.

If it doesn't allow me to watch the content I want to watch - then I won't get it.

If I can......I just may.

Then again...my current PS3 is already pretty awesome so I may not need to.

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#77
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. Awesome, eh? I own a 360 but I don't use it anymore.

Is this true for Xbox One as well?

I would be stunned if it was. It seems entirely unjustifiable unless it is just an artifact of the 360 software being designed with only with online services that use Microsoft servers in mind. They clearly know that isn't the case anymore though, it would be pretty damn shitty of them to keep ripping people off like that.

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#78
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this true for Xbox One as well?

I would be stunned if it was. It seems entirely unjustifiable unless it is just an artifact of the 360 software being designed with only with online services that use Microsoft servers in mind. They clearly know that isn't the case anymore though, it would be pretty damn shitty of them to keep ripping people off like that.

Netflix on the 360 requiring Xbox Live is not an artifact. It's just a cash grab.

The 360 was the first console to offer Netflix and they had exclusivity for a while so they could do it. Once the exclusivity ended they didn't make it free because they felt no need to because lots of people continued to pay up.

Re: Xbox One: Microsoft's All-In-One Home Entertainment System

#80
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally, as a gamer, the native replay system is the most exciting thing I've seen out of this generation. So many times I've been playing a game with my brother over Xbox Live and something awesome happens, and afterwards we're kind of like, "Man, I wish this game had a record button like Halo so we could watch that over and over again." And now they all will.

The feature Sony announced for the PS4 is actually more powerful than that - it not only records, but also allows live screen streaming and sharing gaming sessions with friends remotely. One of the use cases they suggested was being able to have a friend take over and help you out if you were having a particularly hard time with a section of a game.

Ah, the PS4 presentation didn't really make that clear enough for my thick skull. Thanks for the clarification.
Post reply on HN