If you are not interested in video games just stop reading now!
So you hate the Xbox One? I bet I can change your mind! If not I don’t really care because I’m buying a PS4 as well just later on so need need to talk shit.
I am an owner of both a Xbox 360 and PS3 console. I feel like there’s minimal difference between the two. If I had to choose between systems it would be the Xbox 360. Although most of my better friends are on PS3, I have had Xbox Live for 7 years now and I prefer it over PSN.
Anyways…
I have been on Twitter literally every single day looking at what most people have been saying in regards to Next-Gen consoles. For starters, very few people are talking about the Wii U. Most of what I have been seeing is thousands of tweets bitching about how shitty the Xbox One is going to be. I think people primarily think this way because they are not understanding the new Xbox’s policies 100% correctly. There is a ton of misinformation going around and it’s driving me insane.
Here are a list of complaints/rumors going around and my responses to people’s stupidity
1. No used games- Completely false. Refer to my quote in #6. It is up to 3rd party developers for both the PS4 and Xbox One. When Sony vaguely said the don’t charge a fee and support used games they meant First-party games they own. When it comes to Third-Party publishers it is completely up to those developers
2. The Xbox One being always on and requiring a Kinect for operation leads people to believe that the government is going to spy on them through the Kinect.
First of all, this is the most retarded thing I’ve ever heard. Even if they were we are nothing but a bunch of gamers who have really nothing to hide. Like seriously people it’s a video game console. If you are seriously so concerned about being spied on just unplug the damn console. It’s not the hard of concept. Also read this from Microsoft’s official policy statement on the new Kinect:
“You are in control of what Kinect can see and hear: By design, you will determine how responsive and personalized your Xbox One is to you and your family during setup. The system will navigate you through key privacy options, like automatic or manual sign in, privacy settings, and clear notifications about how data is used. When Xbox One is on and you’re simply having a conversation in your living room, your conversation is not being recorded or uploaded.
You are in control of when Kinect sensing is On, Off or Paused: If you don’t want the Kinect sensor on while playing games or enjoying your entertainment, you can pause Kinect. To turn off your Xbox One, just say “Xbox Off.” When the system is off, it’s only listening for the single voice command — “Xbox On,” and you can even turn that feature off too. Some apps and games may require Kinect functionality to operate, so you’ll need to turn it back on for these experiences.”
3. People are outraged by the new DRM restrictions on the Xbox One. Also the PS4 doesn’t have DRM restrictions.
Well this isn’t entirely true. Similarly to Xbox, it is completely up to the developers of games. At launch the Xbox One will have both disc-based games and digital download versions of each game available the day the game is released. While the PS4 is relying more on discs and they mentioned bringing in an entire library of games later on in 2014. So not all games will be available digitally on the PS4 at launch but they will be on the Xbox One
Xbox One’s policy:
“Buy the way you want—disc or digital—on the same day: You’ll be able to buy disc-based games at traditional retailers or online through Xbox Live, on day of release. Discs will continue to be a great way to install your games quickly”
The restrictions aren’t really as bad as everyone is making them out to be. I already said that the restrictions apply to primarily Third-party games. Here is a quote from an article I read that I found very interesting:
“After reading this, a percentage of you will most likely say “well that is definitely better than I thought, but PlayStation 4 is DRM free.” The answer to that remark is, no – it isn’t. Sony spent a lot of time talking about how they aren’t imposing DRM restrictions on their games and how awesome they are compared to Microsoft. What Sony didn’t spend a lot of time telling you, is that publishers can put DRM content onto their games if they choose to – and let me tell you, most will choose to.
Sony has more of a mess on their hands than Microsoft does; instead of having a system where all of your content is setup the same and accessible from everywhere, you will have a content system in which games may or may not be restricted in various ways. Some games will be accessible from everywhere and some won’t; it will be a toss-up and you better hope you get what you are wishing for.
Many of you shouldn’t even be bothered by the ideas above, specifically PC gamers who have been buying game after game on Steam. The digital PC game marketplace doesn’t allow you to trade with friends or sell for resale. Let’s not forget that after purchasing content you have to go into “Offline mode” if you know you won’t be able to access the web.
I have friends who have hundreds and hundreds of DRM restricted games on Steam, but scream “that’s Bull $%#@” when they hear that Xbox One has some (and less restrictive) anti-piracy methods in place. Excuse me, but – hypocritical much?”
4. People are saying Xbox One is more focused on being the center of your living room and hardly focused on games.
This is the farthest thing from the truth. Back in late May people completely misunderstood Microsoft’s approach to their Xbox Reveal. The reveal wasn’t about games. It was about the console itself. It was short and to the point. It introduced the new features that the new console has that the Xbox 360 doesn’t have. It was to introduce the new features and abilities that the Xbox One can achieve. The focus then was not games. However, they ended the conference with the world premiere of Call of Duty: Ghost which was awesome.
Then onto E3. At E3 this week during Microsoft’s Media Briefing, the primary focus was not the specs of the console. What was it? It games. From the moment the conference began it opened with Metal Gear Solid V until the end with the debut of Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall the primary focus was games. They also announced pricing which is relatively high but there are reasons behind that which I will get into later. However, Microsoft focused on only games and mainly exclusive games. I feel as if the exclusives for Xbox are far superior to those on the PS4. Like Titanfall blew me away. It’s the same people that made COD4 and that was one of the greatest games of all time. All the exclusives except for the a select few looked amazing. Another thing I noticed was that the games PS4 highlighted in their briefing weren’t even exclusives. For example, they highlighted Watch Dogs, Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Heart, Elder Scrolls Online, Destiny, and a few others all of which are multi-platform. The exclusive lineup on Xbox impressed me more than those on the PS4.
5. There will be fees for used games or license transfer fees for games.
This just isn’t true:
“Trade-in and resell your disc-based games: Today, some gamers choose to sell their old disc-based games back for cash and credit. We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers. Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games.”
Also Microsoft is implementing a new strategy on sharing games to friends:
“Give your games to friends: Xbox One is designed so game publishers can enable you to give your disc-based games to your friends. There are no fees charged as part of these transfers. There are two requirements: you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once.”
However, for third party publishers it is completely up to the developers whether or not to charge a fee on used games and this goes for both consoles.
6. Having all your games Digitally installed on the cloud is a terrible idea.
I have been a tradition gamer who would go out and buy discs for a very long time. Recently, I’ve turned to buying more and more games digitally. Why? Because you get them instantly and the load times are stunningly faster than off of the discs. I think the gaming industry is pointing more and more towards having everything digital. Think about the iPhone and all the apps you get. There isn’t any physical thing you have to hold but everything on it is digital and that’s the direction Xbox One is pushing towards. It’s also what I prefer. This makes the idea of selling your used games to like GameStop a thing of the past. As mentioned before, Microsoft has left that completely up to developers.
Microsoft’s policy on the matter in addition to that the Xbox One also has many new advantages from using the cloud:
“Access your entire games library from any Xbox One—no discs required: After signing in and installing, you can play any of your games from any Xbox One because a digital copy of your game is stored on your console and in the cloud. So, for example, while you are logged in at your friend’s house, you can play your games.
Share access to your games with everyone inside your home: Your friends and family, your guests and acquaintances get unlimited access to all of your games. Anyone can play your games on your console–regardless of whether you are logged in or their relationship to you.
Give your family access to your entire games library anytime, anywhere: Xbox One will enable new forms of access for families. Up to ten members of your family can log in and play from your shared games library on any Xbox One. Just like today, a family member can play your copy of Forza Motorsport at a friend’s house. Only now, they will see not just Forza, but all of your shared games. You can always play your games, and any one of your family members can be playing from your shared library at a given time.”
Also the age of scratching a disc and not being able to play a game is a thing of the past. This because all games are saved into the cloud.
7. Having the Xbox check in once every 24 hours to the internet is ridiculous and just plain stupid.
I don’t personally like this feature, but its really not as big of a problem people are making it out to be. In todays world, when aren’t you going to have an internet connection. I think the minimal Internet speed for the Xbox One is 1.5mbps which is very reasonable. My iPhone when I have the mobile hotspot on can reach that speed. So even if you don’t have Internet say if you were moving to a new home as long as you have 3G or 4G cell phone service you will be able to connect your Xbox One to your mobile hotspot for the required check in. So people really need to stop complaining about shit that doesn’t even apply to them. Think logically people. And if you are in an area without cell phone service you probably shouldn’t be worried about playing video games. Go enjoy the outdoors you fucks.
8. The Xbox One pricing is outrageous at $499.
The price is a little steep compared to the PS4’s $399. I think the Xbox should not require Kinect for operation. That is literally the dumbest idea Microsoft has ever come up with. If they can somehow change that I can see Microsoft matching PS4’s price of $399. Hopefully they will do that but you never know. There are reason’s for such a price steep price for the Xbox One. There are reasons for the PS4 being $100 cheaper as well. The PS4 does not include the new $60 PS Eye which they emphasized in their reveal in February. Sony recommends for the ultimate PS4 experience, a consumer should purchase the PS eye. On the contrary, Microsoft wants everyone to experience the new Kinect and how it’s implemented to the Xbox One. This is bullshit though. It’s not right that Microsoft forces this technology on people. Not everyone wants it. However, I do so that is why it’s not much of a problem paying the extra $100 for the new Kinect.
Also for those of you who may not know, PSN is now charging for online play via Playstation Plus which is $60. So that is how Sony is maintaining their $399 price knowing that people will be willing to pay for either the Playstation eye and/or Playstation Plus.
Okay so why buy the Xbox One? Here are some features you may or may not know about:
-The Cloud: The cloud enables so many different things. Just imagine having all your games in one place. This doesn’t just apply to your console. Any console you sign in on with your profile will allow you to play all the games you purchased. In addition to that, the Xbox One allows you to share your games with up to 10 “family members” but that isn’t restricted to just your household. It could just be the group of friends you play with. Also, each game enables you to share the game once as long as the friend has been on your friends list for 30 days.
“Here is the best part, because your game is in the cloud, you can head to your friend’s house, login, and play your games there! That’s right, you can actually play your games while chilling with friends at their house; this has been one of the biggest misunderstandings for the console. So go ahead, head to a friend’s house and play Call of Duty Ghosts multiplayer – Microsoft is not stopping you.”
-Skype on your console with the Kinect. With the new snap mode, Xbox One allows for you to play a game, watch a movie, or whatever you enjoy while maintaining a Skype call on a sidebar. This is frighten awesome. I’ve always wanted to do this. When I’m at college I caught myself Skyping on computer with friends whilst playing a game on my TV. This combines the two which is amazing.
-Having TV on your console may seem kinda weird but I think it’s an awesome idea. With the integration of Kinect you no longer need a remote. You can just verbalized the shows you want to watch and it jumps right to that channel. I think the demo they showed at the reveal was really cool and innovative. It also has DVR and the ability to creat your own channel that is programmed just to your liking.
-The ability to digitally share games with friends and family is something that has been greatly overlooked and there are few people even aware of it. You can select 10 people you know and share game with each other which is something you can’t do today.
“The fun doesn’t end there, up to ten family members can log in and play shared games on any Xbox One console. Which means when your brother heads to his friend’s house to play his copy of Forza Motorsport, he will also be able to access all of your shared games.
Now, let’s talk about reselling your disc games and trading with friends. You will still be able to trade in your games at participating retailers. In addition, Microsoft won’t be charging any fees to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of games. Enjoy playing that game and then head to a store to trade it in for something else – reselling is not dead.
Giving your games to a friend isn’t dead either. Xbox One allows you to give your games to friends with no fees attached. There are two requirements though: the first is that you can only give games to people who have been on your friends list for a least 30 days and secondly, each game can only be given once.”
-Xbox illumiroom:
Watch it’s crazy:
–Xbox One has more exclusives than the PS4. These exclusives range from Forza and Ryse to Halo and Titanfall. All these games, to me, look amazing. There are more than the ones I’ve mentioned but these are the ones I’m excited about and the ones I came up with off of the top of my head.
Alright fuck it I’m tired of writing this. Very few people care I’m just bored out if my mine and highly caffeinated from my pre-workout earlier.
All in all I feel like the Xbox One will be the better system. Maybe not initially but it i think it has great potential. That’s my opinion. However, there are very slight differences between the two systems again like there were between the PS3 and Xbox 360. Each person will decide for themselves which console to buy and which they feel is better. My purpose in writing this was to just help those confused about the Xbox One’s policies and introduce things you may not know about. I seriously have no life with this whole broken foot thing so researching this stuff has taken a lot of my time. I’ll close by saying I can’t wait to get my Xbox One this November and once Titanfall comes out its going to be one if the best online multiplayer FPS of all time. Titanfall is an exclusive on the Xbox One, an experience I refuse to miss out on. Happy Gaming fuckers!!!!
MURICA!!!
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