Microsoft Xbox news and discussion thread

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Suits
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Re: Xbox One

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Flabyo wrote: April 7th, 2017, 11:27 am Japanese launch dreamcast was liquid cooled. They'd revised the hardware long before the western releases though.

(Not usually water, tends to be some variant of freon)
Cool, I didn't know that.

Not so odd after all then :) .
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Re: Xbox One

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I've had a suspicion for a while that MS are holding back some releases to tie it in with a Scorpio release.

Below, Cuphead and Crackdown are the obvious one to me but like you say hopefully there's some big hitter lurking back there to freshen up the roster of games on the Xbox.
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Re: Xbox One

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I'm Probably the only person who'd want more Quantum Break ;)
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Re: Xbox One

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DomsBeard wrote: April 7th, 2017, 12:36 pm I'm Probably the only person who'd want more Quantum Break ;)
While it wasn't my cup of tea on the cover of things, speaking to people that liked it, they loved it.

It's a welcome title on a list of games that are exclusive to the Xbox and offers a unique experience. So from that point of view another one, or at least another new IP would be welcome to me.
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Re: Xbox One

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I literally can't imagine what Microsoft could do to make me even consider getting one of these. I am interested in Forza but not enough to get an XBOne. I have absolutely no interest in any of their other exclusive titles. I've no interest in buying a 4K TV at this stage. I currently have about half a dozen supposedly amazing PS4 games I've yet to get round to, and I'm going to buy pretty much everything released on the Switch for the next nine months. I don't even know who this is aimed at with all the spec chat, it means less than nothing to me; it mostly tells me that they haven't got a clue about what makes gaming my main hobby.

I remain curious but incredibly sceptical. E3 has the potential to be the best we've ever seen, though.
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Re: Xbox One

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Stanshall wrote: April 7th, 2017, 1:16 pm I literally can't imagine what Microsoft could do to make me even consider getting one of these. I am interested in Forza but not enough to get an XBOne. I have absolutely no interest in any of their other exclusive titles. I've no interest in buying a 4K TV at this stage. I currently have about half a dozen supposedly amazing PS4 games I've yet to get round to, and I'm going to buy pretty much everything released on the Switch for the next nine months. I don't even know who this is aimed at with all the spec chat, it means less than nothing to me; it mostly tells me that they haven't got a clue about what makes gaming my main hobby.

I remain curious but incredibly sceptical. E3 has the potential to be the best we've ever seen, though.
I'm with you. Can't see what could get announced for this that would make me want to buy one.
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Re: Xbox One

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DomsBeard wrote: April 7th, 2017, 12:36 pm I'm Probably the only person who'd want more Quantum Break ;)
I'd have a bit more Quantum Break! It's not perfect, but I thought it was a pretty fun ride!
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Re: Xbox One

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I'm a little surprised by the general reaction to the Scorpio I've seen. It feels like until now there's been somewhat of an arms race to see which is the most powerful console, but the reaction to this has been mostly muted at best. This will probably change when we start to see the games for it though they're in a tough situation here - release some amazing exclusive Scorpio games and upset original Xbox One owners or make sure the games are available to both and have people saying it's not worth the upgrade (see discussions about the New 3DS.)

I think a few things have influenced this -

1) Just releasing the specs initially. This kind of news often makes my eyes glaze over, but I understand there are a load of folk who enjoy this kind of information. Unfortunately, in a pie chart they're also the most likely to have power house PCs so while it's a powerful piece of kit, you're trying to appeal to folk most likely to already have powerful kit. With games much more likely to come to PC these days, it's a tough sell to these guys.

2) Half steps and the PS4 pro. While Nintendo have tried this with their DS family for a while, this is the first time we'll see if the market warms to this idea for home consoles. The general consensus on "Should I upgrade to the PS4 pro?" is that it looks better on (some) 4K TVs and improves VR the former of which most people aren't in a hurry to upgrade and the latter of which people are interested in but the $$$ needed makes it tough to also fork out for a PS4 pro.

3) The Switch. A huge caveat is here is of course my circles are incredibly biased and those who have bought a Switch already are likely to be huge Nintendo fans anyway. But the tech has been really positively received for the most part. So much so that I've seen people saying that Microsoft are missing the mark going straight for numbers and even complaining the new machine is overpowered. Now, some of this is just the internet going straight in with hyperbole, but what's interesting is that I couldn't imagine these comments at any point in the WiiU's lifespan. There have been people saying that Nintendo managed to squeeze out of the WiiU amazing performance that other companies should take notice, but it was always with the seeming acknowledgement that "Yes, the WiiU is underpowered." That isn't happening with the Switch, and it may be part of the reason that Microsoft going all in with the tech specs straight away isn't perhaps generating the hype they had hoped.

4) Not addressing perceived problems with the Xbox One. They've started with tech specs which were always considered to be a little under PS4, but apart from at launch, it didn't seem to be a big sticking point with many people. But I've seen some people commenting that what the Xbox One needs is games and while there is still time to address that (especially with E3 in a few months) that obviously doesn't quell those folks right now.

Again, this is based on my completely biased little echo chambers, so it's not gospel. Nor am I making judgements on the consoles themselves. Rather, the reactions I've seen to this seems different to what I imagine it would have been 3 or 4 years ago.
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Re: Xbox One

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Been holding off on buying a 4K TV and upgrading our surround sound solution until things became a bit clearer. With these specs and the indicated performance I'm glad. Jumping to a Scorpio with HDR lighting and having all our many XBOX One games and a huge number of 360 BC games upres'd is such an obvious and easy upgrade path. It will probably be cheaper than upgrading my current PC to 4K specs given I'd also need a new screen there.
After my initial love affair with the PS4 I soon realised that it's impressive Indy line up was always going to be bested by Steam and I returned to XBOX for my main machine. Of course this is easy to say for someone who always ensures he has all options available. Then again I still haven't had a single itch to buy a Switch, but then that's basically a handheld system you can dock and my hands don't do portable. Plus heard so many issues with using the Switch docked with controller disconnects and so on. Plus those prices! On top of that I've not loved a Nintendo system since the GameCube.

Basically XBOX (especially with play Anywhere, which I think MS will hit hard this E3) is all set to remain the heart of my gaming setup for the foreseeable future, and I'm OK with that.
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Re: Xbox One

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Re: Switch disconnects. A small percentage of the first batch had a manufacturing fault. Nintendo will replace any defective controller for free. Just wanted to clear that one up for you.
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Re: Xbox One

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Stanshall wrote: April 10th, 2017, 6:06 am Re: Switch disconnects. A small percentage of the first batch had a manufacturing fault. Nintendo will replace any defective controller for free. Just wanted to clear that one up for you.
Fair enough. Although I had heard the antenna in the left joycon was much shorter than that in the right which affected reception. Obviously only a problem for those who use it as a classic console which I get the feeling is not the real aim of the Switch. They hit up the portability pretty hard in the reveal. From my outside perspective it feels very much like a 3DS replacement that can act as a traditional console so Ninty don't have to bother with two devices. It's smart marketing but just not what I'm looking for in a console. Pity given the reception Zelda has gotten but I always have the option of playing that on the WiiU.
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Re: Xbox One

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Sad to say that I've not touched my Xbox One since Titanfall 2. It really has become an increasingly sporadically-used console, which (much like the PS3 early on last gen) tends to mean updates and UI changes every time I turn it on.

My response to the Scorpio specs last week was kinda telling in this regard. What would I play on it? At this point, and without Scalebound, Forza Horizon is the only game I'd be pulled back in for. Here's hoping that Microsoft pull out all the stops at E3.
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Re: Xbox One

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countstex wrote: April 10th, 2017, 7:09 am
Stanshall wrote: April 10th, 2017, 6:06 am Re: Switch disconnects. A small percentage of the first batch had a manufacturing fault. Nintendo will replace any defective controller for free. Just wanted to clear that one up for you.
Fair enough. Although I had heard the antenna in the left joycon was much shorter than that in the right which affected reception. Obviously only a problem for those who use it as a classic console which I get the feeling is not the real aim of the Switch. They hit up the portability pretty hard in the reveal. From my outside perspective it feels very much like a 3DS replacement that can act as a traditional console so Ninty don't have to bother with two devices. It's smart marketing but just not what I'm looking for in a console. Pity given the reception Zelda has gotten but I always have the option of playing that on the WiiU.
As I say, it's not a problem. It was a manufacturing bugger up with one run but not being reported since. It's obviously had some impact on perception of the console though, given we're having this chat.

And I also basically agree with you re: portability, although Nintendo have insisted repeatedly that it's a home console you can take on the go, rather than vice versa! For me, it depends on the game. Isaac I'm happy to play portable, Zelda merits the telly. I suspect Mario Kart will be great on both. The most accurate conclusion is that it's the first proper hybrid, basically.
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Re: Xbox One

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Stanshall wrote: April 10th, 2017, 11:40 amAnd I also basically agree with you re: portability, although Nintendo have insisted repeatedly that it's a home console you can take on the go, rather than vice versa! For me, it depends on the game. Isaac I'm happy to play portable, Zelda merits the telly. I suspect Mario Kart will be great on both. The most accurate conclusion is that it's the first proper hybrid, basically.
I've enjoyed switching between the two. As you said, Stanshall, Zelda was more on the TV (though I played a fair amount in handheld mode too), whilst Fast RMX and Graceful Explosion Machine I played entirely in handheld mode.

A couple of months ago there were (entirely speculative) rumours of a Sony equivalent to the Switch, and Microsoft handheld rumours seem to periodically bubble up, but it does seem (with Pro and Scorpio) that they're doubling down on the 4K and VR home experiences right now.
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Re: Xbox One

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Sony and MS are both pretty in bed with AMD when it comes to chips though are they not? And I'm a little out of touch but I don't recall AMD having anything really in the mobile market of note. It's all Qualcomm, ARM and nVidias Tegra as used in the Switch.
Interesting that the Switch uses a somewhat older version of Tegra, leaving them open for producing a 'Switch Pro' based on the already out there Pascal Tegra chipset next year should they so wish.
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Re: Xbox One

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Craig wrote: April 8th, 2017, 10:55 am I'm a little surprised by the general reaction to the Scorpio I've seen...

3) The Switch. A huge caveat is here is of course my circles are incredibly biased and those who have bought a Switch already are likely to be huge Nintendo fans anyway. But the tech has been really positively received for the most part. So much so that I've seen people saying that Microsoft are missing the mark going straight for numbers and even complaining the new machine is overpowered. Now, some of this is just the internet going straight in with hyperbole, but what's interesting is that I couldn't imagine these comments at any point in the WiiU's lifespan. There have been people saying that Nintendo managed to squeeze out of the WiiU amazing performance that other companies should take notice, but it was always with the seeming acknowledgement that "Yes, the WiiU is underpowered." That isn't happening with the Switch, and it may be part of the reason that Microsoft going all in with the tech specs straight away isn't perhaps generating the hype they had hoped.
This is a very good point. I think they may have seen the popularity of the PS4 as being a side effect of being most powerful console. Then decided to really push that angle in their next console - although, however, if you listen to people that seem to know what they are talking about, it's more than just power that is at play in this new Xbox but needless to say performance has certainly been at the forefront on this new consoles design I think.

I know it's said ALL THE TIME but regardless of power and performance, it's the software that really pushes the experience and like you say, perhaps the focus on the hardware has thinned the quality on the software front (I personally think that there is evidence to support this) - Look at Zelda, it's certainly spent a thorough period in the oven and the spec's on the Wii U and Switch may well be laughed at by some of the techie aficionado's and look, its' produced an incredible experience.

I just hope that this new system and horsepower can support and deliver a thorough, wholesome experience that the numbers tease and not just a pretty skybox.
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Re: Xbox One

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What I like about the report was that it mentioned them hitting 4K and 60fps with room to spare. Which means all future optimisations can go into graphical techniques and styles, as well as other clever tricks that can truly add to games atmospheres. Since there is little point in going beyond 4K for human eyesight we have finally hit that resolution ceiling I think. Hence why all the emphasis is on HDR rather than the actual 4K from many analysts. Something that makes an absolute visual difference to games (and movies/TV)
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Re: Xbox One

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countstex wrote: April 11th, 2017, 11:45 am Since there is little point in going beyond 4K for human eyesight we have finally hit that resolution ceiling I think.
I don't really believe that will stop TV manufacturers trying to push 8K, or beyond. Hopefully the market shows diminishing returns past the point of perceivable benefit, but I still expect them to try and sell us a theoretical improvement.

I do like that HDR seems to be as much of a focus as 4K. I can appreciate the distinct (rather than iterative) benefit that HDR brings. It's certainly true that PC gaming can push 4K right now, but (last time I checked) there were incredibly few 4K monitors. That means buying a 4K TV to see the benefit of Pro, Scorpio or a high-end PC, and (for me) there's really not the impetus yet.

HDTVs took a while to become predominant. HD gaming certainly helped, and Blu-ray too, but it wasn't really until the digital switch-over required people to change aspects of their TV setup, and manufacturers were only selling HDTVs that I got the impression that HD was really accepted as standard. At the moment, HD streaming is prevalent, but 4K streams? I've not seen much availability, and bandwidth seems like it'd be a limiting factor.

I know I'm rambling, but I guess what I'm really trying to say is that Microsoft and Sony can't (and surely don't) expect the Scorpio and Pro to take off in the way the Xbox One and PS4 did, because this isn't a new generation, and requires (in a lot of cases) new TVs to go along with the new consoles. I'm in the subset of gamers who will buy pretty much all consoles within a year of release, and whilst I'd dearly love to have a giant 4K TV and both Pro and Scorpio, it's just not on the cards.

That said, I really hope Sony and Microsoft can make me incredibly jealous of those who do upgrade to the fancy, swanky new machines. :mrgreen:
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Re: Xbox One

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I think everything is indeed pointing to there not being any true new generations coming. We're into the, i would guess at, 2 yearly refresh for console hardware. Maybe the odd new addition coming along but even the PS4 and the One weren't anything truly new more consolidation of what each had learnt in the past 8 years. Foundations on which we can survive for years to come.
This means constant backwards compatibility, which is going to make it harder and harder for new games to make waves. Pay 100 quid for the new shiny, or 15 for a game from 4 years ago being upscaled.
Things have changed and everything now is about the long game. Tying players in to ecosystems and holding on to them. I fear those of us who like to try it all will find less and less fun to be had from having thumbs in all the pies.
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Re: Xbox One

Post by skidoosh »

From my perspective. The problems with the xbone aren't the lack of 1080/60 gaming. It's the lack of sharing options you've got. All of you with a PS4/PS4Pro will know just how easy it is to link your social media accounts and just share content. All you have to do is save -> trim -> share. They've made the process as natural as breathing. When I share content on the xbone it's only visible to people on my friends list or club (if I go to the club and share it).

If Scorpio ships with the same overbearing, over complicated OS as the xbone with not of the social features from the PS4 it'll have issues converting people over. Well, me anyway. I got my xbone when they released the 1TB version and I've always found it to be perfectly adequate for gaming. But for me, there's a massive black hole where the social features should be.

Microsoft shouldn't underestimate the value of your mate ragdolling through the air after he walked over a trim mine in pvp or that Junkrat quad kill in your twitter feed. It all helps to passively influence opinion of your platform and games.
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