New Xbox basically kills off used games

[Quackers]

The UK price at launch is far, far too expensive. Even if I had the money I wouldn't pay so much for a games console. That isn't even factoring in the games purchases and Xbox Live Membership which is essential to getting the most out of the console.

I'll probably wait two or three years and get the slightly smaller, shinier and hopefully several hundred pounds cheaper model.

 

[Zelig]

The UK price at launch is far, far too expensive. Even if I had the money I wouldn't pay so much for a games console. That isn't even factoring in the games purchases and Xbox Live Membership which is essential to getting the most out of the console.

I'll probably wait two or three years and get the slightly smaller, shinier and hopefully several hundred pounds cheaper model.

I edited in my thoughts on pricing into a previous post:

Edit: Also regarding the price being $100 above the PS4, the XB1 is pretty severely restricted by market at launch, so I suspect supply will be a limiting factor rather than demand, even at the $500 price. The PS4 is marginally easier to produce, but if it's also supply constrained and spends months going for $600 on ebay, the $400 price won't do much other than eat a bit into Sony's profits.

 

[warpus]

Spoiler :

Really? Still works for me here in Canada.

It's basically a video of a reporter at E3 asking an XBOX executive what people who do not have (reliable) access to internet would do if they bought the XBOX one. His response? They should buy the XBOX 360 instead.

 

[tonberry]

Again, what the hell do you want them to say???? What exactly would satisfy you at this point? The XB1 requires an internet connection, so don't buy it if you don't have the internet. How much more simple can it get? You want the PR guy to call you darling and sing you a song while he strokes your hair? Would that make it all better?

How many people will buy an expansive new console and don’t have internet? Almost no one. If you don’t have internet, you should continue playing on your PS2 and SNES because that’s probably what you have. What Don Mattrick should have said is "Yes, you will need constant internet connection. Now let me explain all the cool features that we will provide you with this required internet connection."

The problem, however, is that those new features don’t seem to be cool enough to warrant all the restrictions that they’re imposing on players.

 

[warpus]

Again, what the hell do you want them to say???? What exactly would satisfy you at this point? The XB1 requires an internet connection, so don't buy it if you don't have the internet. How much more simple can it get? You want the PR guy to call you darling and sing you a song while he strokes your hair? Would that make it all better?

It's not what he said, it's what he had to say. He said the only thing he could say, you're right, but the thing he said is ridiculous and dismissive of a large segment of the gaming population and their customer base. They've painted themselves into a silly corner and have to say things that will drive customers away. That's what people are pointing out.

 

[tonberry]

If you can’t see the video warpus is talking about, just look for "if you don't have internet get an xbox360" on google or youtube and you’ll find it.

 

[Arakhor]

How many people will buy an expansive new console and don’t have internet? Almost no one. If you don’t have internet, you should continue playing on your PS2 and SNES because that’s probably what you have.

For six years, I had internet for my PC but not for my 360. Your attitude is clearly the spirit in which the XB1 was designed.

 

[Mise]

Yeah, I saw the video warpus posted. I didn't see a problem with what he said, what he had to say, or the way he said it. It reminded me of the "problem" with iPhones a couple years ago, where if you held the phone in such a way it blocked the antennae and you couldn't get a signal. The Apple guys just said "so don't hold it like that then". Which is exactly what they should have said. The internerds all got angry nerdrage hard-ons over it, made a massive fuss about it, saying about how bad PR it was, and how the CUSTOMER (who is always right) shouldn't be expected to hold a phone in a slightly different way just because the Evil Apple Corporation are terrible engineers and couldn't even design a mobile phone properly. I mean, how entitled are consumers these days?! God forbid you have to shift your hand slightly in order to get better reception! The PR guy said exactly what needed to be said. Doesn't work when you hold it like that? Don't hold it like that then. Doesn't work when you submerge it in water? Don't put it in water then. Phone requires electricity to charge, but you don't have electricity installed in your house? Don't buy the phone. Phone is exclusive to a network, but the network doesn't cover your area? Buy a different phone. Doesn't work in China? Don't use it in China. Need to use your phone in China? Get a different phone. Simple.

Why should a PR guy have to tell you these things?? Why is the interviewer asking him what people without the internet should do, if they want to use a device that requires the internet? Why isn't he asking about what people who don't have any money should do, if they want to buy the XB1? The thing costs $500. Don't have $500? Buy a different console. This isn't "bad PR". This is a typical non-story that happens every now and then in tech media. Nerdrage. Gotta love it.

 

[tonberry]

For six years, I had internet for my PC but not for my 360. Your attitude is clearly the spirit in which the XB1 was designed.

Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m not getting an Xbox one and I think the way it’s designed is horrible. But, as you said, you have internet, just not on your console. If Microsoft want to sell alot of consoles, they should try to convince people that’s now is the time to invest in a wireless network and hook your console on the net because it’s the future.

 

[Zelig]

More good stuff from Ars Technica.

 

[Mise]

The "family members" thing looks really great. Solves a lot of the issues with game sharing, actually. I can actually borrow a game and play it without a physical disk, just by having the accounts linked through a "family". Sounds awesome.

EDIT: They'd still need to drop the price of games and offer big discounts like Steam for me to choose XB1 over PS4 though.

 

[Arakhor]

That actually sounds like a good idea, I'll admit, but I still don't need a £450 box which is effectively an always-online Steam device, as I already own a TV and can watch it without blowing through my monthly bandwidth.

 

[tonberry]

More good stuff from Ars Technica.

I think they’re right. In the future, people will download everything that can be done digitally (music, games, movie). The mistake that Microsoft is doing is that they are trying to go too fast. Take music for example. It’s pretty easy and cheap to buy a song on iTune and, yet, millions of people are still buying cds. The demands for physical media will diminish as years go by and, eventually, it will be gone. But why force the consumers to change now?

I’m sure, by the end of this new console generation, every games on Xbox, Playstation and Wii will be available for download. Then maybe the generation after that will be entirely digital or maybe it will be the one after that. However, I beleive it is a mistake to do it right now.

 

[kramerfan86]

A big problem I think is microsoft never explained to consumer what the exact purpose of this once a day check-in is. If they could at least justify it people MIGHT be more ok, as it stands is just some bizarre thing they want to do just because.

And on the no internet thing, that's a mixture of people who are behind and "ahead". In the world of smart phones and hot spots there are people beginning to cut their home internet because they dont really see the point of it. That segment of the population, who is tech savvy, are going to be playstation fans now if they choose to video game.

 

[Zelig]

I think they’re right. In the future, people will download everything that can be done digitally (music, games, movie). The mistake that Microsoft is doing is that they are trying to go too fast. Take music for example. It’s pretty easy and cheap to buy a song on iTune and, yet, millions of people are still buying cds. The demands for physical media will diminish as years go by and, eventually, it will be gone. But why force the consumers to change now?

I’m sure, by the end of this new console generation, every games on Xbox, Playstation and Wii will be available for download. Then maybe the generation after that will be entirely digital or maybe it will be the one after that. However, I beleive it is a mistake to do it right now.

Right, but MS isn't stopping anyone from buying discs, they're simply making usage rights media agnostic.

 

[tonberry]

Right, but MS isn't stopping anyone from buying discs, they're simply making usage rights media agnostic.

Let me put it this way: I can buy music on Itune or on cd. If I buy a cd, I don't need to be log on to listen to it. That's what Microsoft is doing. Yes, you can buy xbox games on disk but the only thing that it would do is that you won't need to download the full game and, yet, you will still need be connected to play. If I ever buy a Xbox One, I don't think I will buy any disks since it's pretty much useless.

 

[azzaman333]

A big problem I think is microsoft never explained to consumer what the exact purpose of this once a day check-in is. If they could at least justify it people MIGHT be more ok, as it stands is just some bizarre thing they want to do just because.

And on the no internet thing, that's a mixture of people who are behind and "ahead". In the world of smart phones and hot spots there are people beginning to cut their home internet because they dont really see the point of it. That segment of the population, who is tech savvy, are going to be playstation fans now if they choose to video game.

I'm pretty sure they have said it's to up to date the game rights.

Let me put it this way: I can buy music on Itune or on cd. If I buy a cd, I don't need to be log on to listen to it. That's what Microsoft is doing. Yes, you can buy xbox games on disk but the only thing that it would do is that you won't need to download the full game and, yet, you will still need be connected to play. If I ever buy a Xbox One, I don't think I will buy any disks since it's pretty much useless.

So Microsoft is doing what Valve has been doing for the past 10 years.

 

[illram]

For me the question is, out of the retail box at the reported prices what can the Xbox do that the PS4 cannot do? From the info I have read:

-Xbox comes with kinect, ps4 does not come with the sony equivalent sony eye or whatever its called... not even sure if the eye is as functional as the kinect
-Xbox has skype exclusive and NFL exclusives, what those exclusives mean is not clear though (nfl one sounds like fantasy football integration not exclusive viewing...meh)
-Xbox has HDMI in and can function as a cable receiver

What else am I missing? DRM stuff we all know already. To be honest, Sony is sort of being coy about what they are doing--publishers will still be able to control resale of their games if they want. Don't be too quick to think Sony is going to be the free market console they are hyping to be. (This is Sony remember? They were trying to lock us in to their formats when MS was in diapers.)

 

[GinandTonic]

And on the no internet thing, that's a mixture of people who are behind and "ahead". In the world of smart phones and hot spots there are people beginning to cut their home internet because they dont really see the point of it. That segment of the population, who is tech savvy, are going to be playstation fans now if they choose to video game.

Excellent point. Especially since unlimited data plan mobile plans are now not absurdly priced people are realising it's cheaper than a landline and internet while moving you in the direction of the better "free" handsets. However if you can use your phones portable hotspot to validate the Xbox that would go some way towards mitigating the daily connection issue. OTOH what's the betting some of the patches will be large enough to raise worries about the "fair use" restrictions.

 

[tonberry]

So Microsoft is doing what Valve has been doing for the past 10 years.

Yes but that's exactly the problem. When Steam was launched, PC gamers were ready to buy their games digitally since they couldn't sell their used copy at Gamestop anyway. Internet connection was already a given for PC gamers even the most casual one and piracy was much more a problem.

In other words, PC gamers were ready for the digital ages (well, most were, I'm sure many were pissed). I maintained that many potential consumers for Xbox One aren't.