The New New New Xbox Experience Halo4 Dash

[Matt]

And can i add, anyone who ever talks to their games console is a complete twat.

"XBOX! Get me a girlfriend"

[Flabio]

"as did most people" is a hefty assumption. Certainly on a site like this I'd agree (it's why I bought mine after all) but you don't have to go far to find stories of people who bought it as a 'netflix box' and so on. Kinect has sold well, but ultimately isn't for 'us'. Is part of the hatred here because a box which was originally just for us gamers is now targetted more broadly? Maybe, it's a complicated question.

But this is the way it's going. Expect Sony's next box to add similar features. The 'box that just plays games' is most likely at an end, in the same way that a 'mobile phone that just makes phone calls' is. It's why I fear for the 3DS and Vita over the next year. While we're cool with having our gaming boxes, in terms of overall percentage of sales we're going to become the smaller part of the market.

Having had more time to use the dash properly now, I don't mind the layout change. I'm not keen on the ads either, but it does the job. The games marketplace is pretty awful now though, and needs some serious love and attention.

[Pikate]

And can i add, anyone who ever talks to their games console is a complete twat.

"XBOX! Get me a girlfriend"

I talk to my gadgets?

"You're a lovely MacBook, yes you are, yes you are, a gooo-gooo"

[EvilBoris]

But this is the way it's going. Expect Sony's next box to add similar features. The 'box that just plays games' is most likely at an end, in the same way that a 'mobile phone that just makes phone calls' is. It's why I fear for the 3DS and Vita over the next year. While we're cool with having our gaming boxes, in terms of overall percentage of sales we're going to become the smaller part of the market.

Funny you should say that the, there are quite a few parallels between mobile phones in recent years, perhaps more specifically in the way they are marketed. Look at any advert for any Mobile phone and all you see is a big selection of icons for social networking and other content services ( Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , Google). It just seems like the same with the consoles, and is just used in marketing to make the games console seem like more than just a games console and thus it might appeal to someone who hadn't considered buying a console before.

Just look at all the last fm, twitter and facebook apps that launced 2 years ago, Microsoft haven't updated those apps (the avatars are all silly proportions still) but they no doubt still use those services to advertise the console.

[Matt]

The thing is, ultimately the Gamer will want The Best Machine For Games. If any of these quite crap additional bells and whistles result in MS slipping up with the hardware spec (eg including Kinect 2 at the expense of a better GPU) then the market opens up more for Sony. Or Vice Versa.

[EvilBoris]

Even with all these bells and whistles and added value content, the hardcore are a dying breed and are increasindly in the mirority the other 99% of gamers playing games will still go out and buy millions and millions of copies of Grand theft auto , Fifa, Just dance and Call of Duty, regardless of the power of the console they are playing it on.

Perhaps the "hardcore" market, but even then how many times do people on here choose to purchase and play the most inferior version of the game, because there are other things more important to them than just snazzy graphics? All the time.

And if another company thinks they will be able to create a high spec consoles that plays hi spec, expensive to produce games that will only be bought by a very small amount of people, then fail to offer the same bells and whistles as other gaming formats then ultimately it's going to fail.

[Matt]

Rather silly saying "the hardcore are a dying breed". Games are selling more than ever. It's just the mega titles like CoD and FIFA tend to put other very healthy sales figures in the shade.

I've not seen any figures regarding how long the average XBox user plays games compared to using the console on FaceBook or any of those other services. People seem to be readily dismissing the primary reason you buy a games console - to play games.

You want any of that other crap, it's going to be integrated into the tele itself. Think about it, what do you need for FaceBook on a TV? A quick front end and a link to the internet. That's it. Same for all those other services. None of them need a powerful console. People won't spend ?300 on a "set top box" to have them. They will spend ?300 on a new console.

I don't see the need for all this in a set top box. And thus I see no need for it in a console. It's pointless.

We are more likely to see these all-in-one TVs starting to offer cloud gaming services. Because again, the build-in costs are very low (game pad and wireless interface). At which stage, again we're at the point a GAMING console needs to differentiate itself by offering better games with better graphics.

And do people purchase the most inferior version of a game? Where is that coming from? Would people buy a CoD title on the Wii over the 360 version if they have both consoles? Ultimately when choosingthe same game on console A over console B, it comes down to differentiation. Nice and easy. What version offers them what they need. Social integration with FaceBook or something with say better smoother graphics. I know which version I'd get. We've seen Live being a differentiating factor this gen, it's the reason I buy my online games on the 360 over PS3 - so I can easily game wth my friends. If the PS3 version was substantially better that choice becomes harder. As it happens, with the two consoles I own there usually isn't much in it graphically so the on-line gaming factor takes over.

I'm not drinking the MS coolaide. I know what I from my gaming console.

[charlesr]

I think if better smoother graphics was the differentiator, then we'd all be on the PC.
Unified platform I think is why many of us use consoles and then how do you decide between PS and Xbox if you have both?
Live integration is key I think, but if they start breaking the Live part which we pay good money for each year, then I see a move to PS. And I'm not talking about ads - I'm talking about just common sense navigation. Although who's to say the PS navigation is any better.

I predict another update to the dash fairly shortly that jigs the navigation around a bit.

[Fader209]

I talk to my gadgets?

"You're a lovely MacBook, yes you are, yes you are, a gooo-gooo"

I frequently talk to/shout at my PC.

"Why won't you work?!!? Piece of ****, I can't wait to replace you!"

[Matt]

I think if better smoother graphics was the differentiator, then we'd all be on the PC.

I think the differentiators there are cost and ease of use. People live Live because it's idiot proof.

As witnessed by the number of idiots you encounter on Live

[Pikate]

MS puzzle me. It seems to be there was Sega and Nintendo. Then MS were a big part of consoles growing up and this dominance of CoD. Now they're bringing family back into it with all this "entertainment box" stuff but all I see that doing is pissing off these CoD gamers who all will own PCs and now be much more into gaming/online stuff? I just can't see Kinect beating Nintendo at their game. I can't see Zune beating iTunes/Apple TV or Sony with their Blurays in the living room game. So why this focus on entertainment and not giving their base gamers more to get excited about?

Edit: Should probably say I don't own an Xbox, my housemate does but we just use it for Rock Band sessions and SkyPlayer. And the SkyPlayer is just because her parents have Sky and we use their subscription. Otherwise we stream movies to my Apple TV box which works infinitely better.

[Team Andromeda]

Even with all these bells and whistles and added value content, the hardcore are a dying breed and are increasindly in the mirority the other 99% of gamers playing games will still go out and buy millions and millions of copies of Grand theft auto , Fifa, Just dance and Call of Duty, regardless of the power of the console they are playing it on

Sheer Nonsense. COD, FIFA , GTA are games or to use the bull**** term Hardcore games , these aren't games that appeal to the casual but proper games players .And people do go looking for the best version of FIFA and COD, that's why the Wii versions with their piss poor graphics and internet functions sell the worse, even thought the Wii got a users base well ahead of both the PS3 and 360.

MS is well on the way to killing everything its built up with the X-Box band if it thinks Kinect and the casuals are the future, rather than going all out for the Tech spec's and best system for games like the X-Box and 360 . By all means offer social functions and Kinect as an add on , but at the expense of making sure the next x-box is leading edge and you have a good supply for games for the system

I think if better smoother graphics was the differentiator, then we'd all be on the PC

You know I will never understand why people bring the PC into it . A PC is called that for a reason and a console is called a console for a reason. Now a console is piss easy to set up move from room to room and games will run and look the same on the console in question not matter if you bought the console at launch or the end of it's life, that's totally different to a PC.

[EvilBoris]

Multiquote time.

Rather silly saying "the hardcore are a dying breed". Games are selling more than ever. It's just the mega titles like CoD and FIFA tend to put other very healthy sales figures in the shade.

The number hardcore certainly aren't increasing is relation to number of copies of games needed to be sold and the cost of making said games. fact. Tell a lie , maybe there are more than there used to be, but they are all bitching that the games cost too much and aren't buying them anyway
They might as well being dwindling in number.

You want any of that other crap, it's going to be integrated into the tele itself. Think about it, what do you need for FaceBook on a TV? A quick front end and a link to the internet. That's it. Same for all those other services.

People seem to be readily dismissing the primary reason you buy a games console - to play games.

yep. In 1995.

If 2 parents looking to buy a games console for themselves and their kids are greeted byt 2 or 3 consoles of a similar price. Are they going to pcik the one off the shelf that plays Call of Duty 14 or are they going to pick the console that does the same thing plus some extra things too?

Lots of people where genuinely dissapointed that the Wii couldn't play DVDs when it came out. Do you think the PS3 would of fared quite so well as it has should it not of had a Blu Ray drive?

People buy a console for more than just games, I bought a PS3 to play Blu Rays and use as a DVR also. And whilist we are heading in the direction of many TV's being "smart" and having Youtube etc built in, you may of only bought a TV last week without it and plan on keeping that going for the next 5-6 years.

None of them need a powerful console. People won't spend ?300 on a "set top box" to have them. They will spend ?300 on a new console.

Yep, but if they get the choice between one device with the extra features and one without, 9/10 they will probably pick the one with the extra features.
Microsoft and Sony and Nintendo aren't not going to sit down and agree to not have any of said extra features in their boxes right now, not when they are all very simple software solutions (as you've already said). They would probably upset more consumers if they removed a physically visible feature such as BBC Iplayer or Youtube than the amount they'd please if they chose to put the extra 0.5mb of ram per console (which is probably about all you would get for the equivelant that it cost to include those extra software features).

a GAMING console needs to differentiate itself by offering better games with better graphics.

Just like PC games which have been differentiating things for years with better graphics, in fact that's all they've been excelling in for years also. We all know how that is working out.

Ultimately when choosingthe same game on console A over console B, it comes down to differentiation. Nice and easy.

And what if you don't own more than one console? Because believe it or not, that will be the case for almost the entire gaming population.
Those people will of chosen what platform they will be purchasing on long ago, when they whether they went for one console over another. Which they will probably of based upon the perceived differences between the consoles and whether or not those differences were of benefit to them or not.

To say that these features are worthless is a totally and utterly stupid argument, they may be worthless to you, but then, you aren't the centre of the universe and perhaps those features have actually sold the console to millions and millions of other people.

I'm not drinking the MS coolaide. I know what I from my gaming console.

Definately not, sounds more like you are drinking something far more bitter. If you complain hard enough on the internet, I'm sure that Microsoft , Sony and Nintendo will not only change their entire business model, but change the buying habits and purchasing habits of an entire capitalist society.

[Pikate]

Sheer Nonsense. COD, FIFA , GTA are games or to use the bull**** term Hardcore games , these aren't games that appeal to the casual but proper games players.

I think FIFA is a "casual" game? I know guys and that's the only game they have a console for and I am the epitome of a casual gamer but even I play that. Unless it was "GTA: Hello Kitty City" or "Call of Duty: Selfridge's Boxing Day Sale" I'd never buy those franchises. I think what has happened is gaming isn't so geeky anymore, it's much more popular so whereas First Person Shooter players were geeks 10 years ago, now they're just average joes and we all cross the road together to avoid World of Warcraft and Second Life players

[EvilBoris]

Sheer Nonsense. COD, FIFA , GTA are games or to use the bull**** term Hardcore games , these aren't games that appeal to the casual but proper games players .And people do go looking for the best version of FIFA and COD, that's why the Wii versions with their piss poor graphics and internet functions sell the worse, even thought the Wii got a users base well ahead of both the PS3 and 360.

I'm sure ANYBODY who has ever worked in a games shop , even if it was for a day will tell you exactly the kind of person that typically buys a GTA game or a Fifa game.
They aren't ones who bought import gamecubes, they don't own a Nintendo 3DS, they don't appreciate the splendor of Shadow of the Collossus. They don't sit online bitching about a ?3 difference in the price of a game or crying into their bubble tea about how games aren't as good as they used to be. They are male players who own either a MS console or a Sony console and they will those games and that may be the only game they purchase all year.