440°

Microsoft E3 Press Event Underwhelms

Microsoft wrapped up their E3 press event today and aside from the members of the audience who went home with a free, newly redesigned 360 the rest of us were left to wonder “Where’s the beef?”

Microsoft started the event with gameplay footage of Treyarch’s multiplatform Call of Duty title, Black Ops. After the demo Microsoft announced a new, exclusive partnership with Activision for the Xbox 360 to receive all map packs first for the next 3 years. The use of the word “exclusive” was odd. Generally, when referring to something as being exclusive that would indicate that you’ll only find the item on one console.

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smgamers.com
Anon19745065d ago

Halo/Gears/Fable - we knew these were coming. Kinect does video chat and allows you to yell at your tv to pause video playback. Thanks, but my remote works fine.

The rest was all about the same 5 or so Kinect games we saw yesterday with nothing for the hardcore gamers whose hard earned money put the 360 where it is today. And did you see the lag on Kinect Adventures? That guy had to jump well in advance of the obstacles on screen to compensate for the delay. Clearly he practiced that for the demo. His buddy was all over the place.

Even the new, quieter 360 with a bigger harddrive and wi-fi at the old price still seems to be playing catch up with the PS3 - but without the bonus of a Blu-Ray player.

This has to be the worst Microsoft showing at E3 in memory. Can anyone think of anything good that came out of this? Other than showing Gears 3 and Halo reach, I got nothing out of this - and I don't think anyone needed to be sold on those two games. I still planned on buying them even if they were a no show at E3.

N4GAddict5065d ago

IMO, there weren't any surprises and way too much of Kinect.

Trollimite5065d ago

has anyone ever tried to use voice reconition software before? its such a hassel

imagine watching i movie with your family, you say "pass the pop corn"

kinect hears "start the rough porn" you are **cked!!!!! lol

presto7175065d ago

Some things never change.

MorganX5065d ago

Wireless-N surpasses the PS3, but the lack of Blu-ray really hurts the Xbox. Maybe not movies as much, but games, yes.

WhittO5065d ago

They showed like 3 good games, really? for the year?

It was awful, they were supposed to have a separate Kinect conference weren't they ? So everyone was hoping this 1 would be all about GAMES.

Elimin85065d ago

Start the rough porn.... LOL.. Really!?

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5065d ago
Cold 20005065d ago

There were no surprises except for Kingdoms and the fact the Kinect actually works. Dunno about you guys but Kinect actually convinced me. Not to the point where I would pay 150$ but lest say I wouldnt mind having one of those.

Either than that, I couldnt believe my ears and eyes when the guy said the show was over I was like "but you forgot the show some games".

Redempteur5065d ago

oh they forgot to show them that's for sure ...

fable trailer was nice but i didn't know it was too much to ask to show some gameplay ..

butterfinger5065d ago

I wasn't really impressed with any of the Kinect games (Forza might be a buy for me), and they didn't really show anything that we didn't know about already. Even the Crytek announcement was drab without any footage of the game or other information. Microsoft's 09 Keynote >>>>>>>&g t;> Microsoft's 10 Keynote

Panther527995065d ago (Edited 5065d ago )

personally, i like my 360, however, after watching the MS "conference", i am now wondering if MS is going to throw in the towel.

i have never been so stunned. the lack of really any games was amazing to me. sure there was the games that we all knew were coming, but that was like 4 and then the rest to kinect?

i truly am saddened by MS today. thankfully gaming is my hobby and not my life haha

gaffyh5065d ago

Woah, be careful Cold 2000, you seem to be losing your fanboyism in your old age.

On topic - Yeah I agree, Kinect delivered on some parts, namely the fact that it works, specifically the voice control and hand movements. But there was still noticable lag and jitter during the games.

The first 35 mins of the conference was great, then it was 1 hour of crapness, plus I really hate that guy with the sunglasses (the "you wanna see what an Avatar's shoe looks like, BAM"). The slim announcement MAY have redeemed the show, IF it wasn't leaked, but it was so predictable that he was going to lift up that 360 case and reveal it.

rezzah5065d ago

theyre showing them tmw, i saw the schedual on the IGN list, lmao Sony has like 20 (or more?) nameless games to show. I already say like 5 games with the titles included. Othere than that, expect great things from Sony.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 5065d ago
ico925065d ago

everyone looked like they didnt wanna be there , kinectimals was laughably bad,in fact Kinect as a whole was a joke, Gears 3 looked like a Gears 2 expansion pack, the audience sounded bored, i also noticed how small there confrence hall was, and who the HELL wants to see a woman do Yoga, not even nintendo would show that, this was a new low for M$

ViciousBoston5065d ago

I don't know...i've seen some pretty hot girls. I'd love to watch some hot girls do some yoga.

princejb1345065d ago

ms noticed the audience aint wanna be there thats why they gave them xb360 to put a smile on their face after that horror show they just did
but the new xb360 looks freaking sexy
i want it=]

Killjoy30005065d ago

Yeah, except it looks like they completely ripped off the design of the old PS3. That system should've been the one they launched 5 years ago.

- Ghost of Sparta -5065d ago

The conference was utterly laughable. I wouldn't have the balls to admit I actually purchased an Xbox 360 after that, hence the free 360's at the end of the show.

marinelife95065d ago (Edited 5065d ago )

That was a funny article It had me rolling.

Bzone245065d ago

Did you watch the conference? Your second paragraph of the article you rip on them for the use of the word exclusive and say they should have said “exclusive for at least a little while”.

Just watched the conference and about the map packs and addons he said "First on Xbox in 2010, first on Xbox in 2011 and first on Xbox in 2012. He said first, not exclusively on Xbox.

The only time he said exclusive was about the agreement. Which I am guessing is right. Does Sony have an agreement to release the map packs first on the PS3? You can only have one exclusive agreement for being first.

Didn't read the rest of your "article".

Willio5065d ago (Edited 5065d ago )

Kinect’s voice recognition was also shown off during video playback. “Xbox! Pause!” Here’s a quick tip. You know what else can pause video even quicker? The pause button on your remote, and it won’t cost you an extra $150-$200.

Perhaps “exclusive for at least a little while” would be a more appropriate phrase. To understand fan’s reaction to this announcement, I suggest Microsoft employees try using “we’ll be exclusive for a little while” on their girlfriends or wives and report back to us to let us know how well that goes over.

Microsoft has spoken loud and clear this E3.

Unfortunately that message is “Yeah, we got nothin’.”

ThanatosDMC5065d ago (Edited 5065d ago )

^MS created the stupid "exclusivity" debate. Apparently if it's also on the PC, it doesnt count.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 5065d ago
T9X695065d ago

Even EA's conference was better, and EA sucks a big one.

zireno5065d ago

agree 100% EA's was better because you know, they showed real games :)

AEtherbane5065d ago

3 games in 2 hours?
And two of them were fitness games?

Microsoft Xbox 3605065d ago

Bulletstorm was actually amazing. IMO better than Crysis 2.

waterboy5065d ago

talking bout crysis 2 is the best on consoles, well that wouldnt include ps3

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5065d ago
mark35745065d ago

more then happy with microsoft!!

Redlogic5065d ago

what did you like the most?

jack who5065d ago

who cares Need For Speed Hot Pursuit nuff said

Somnipotent5065d ago

how many N4G articles do we need on this? oh yeah, i forgot where i'm at.

morganfell5065d ago (Edited 5065d ago )

Oh look, the top of the page has an address bar and you can surf away. You think this is bad? It's one day. One day.

Try coming here with 2 years of "PS3 is teh doomed" articles.

This is called a comeuppance where the press stops protecting Microsoft because their offerings at E3 were disappointing. And I mean a shambles.

Microsoft has their own Giant Crab and his name is Kinect.

Narutone665065d ago

Even though I hate MS, I feel sorry for them and their fans.

morganfell5065d ago

I don't, not one bit because I haven't forgotten the way they have been acting for years.

Somnipotent5065d ago

you guys disagreed with me for speaking the obvious truth? what part of that was opinionated? did i come across like a microsoft fanboy? bah hah hah hah, that's a good one.

morganfell5065d ago (Edited 5065d ago )

But that is it, you were not speaking the truth. Sites have a right to express a particular opinion about the show. And offer the facts to support their view.

This isn't the same thing as reporting the price of Kinect listed by Gamestop. That is your error. It isn't a matter of truth but of policy.

k2d5065d ago

Granted, Sony had THE. BIGGEST. downperiod of Playstations lifetime with the launch of PS3, but now it seems as if the tides are turning.

Kinect is little more than a well advertised adrenalin shot.

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60°

Pacific Rim Pinball comes to Pinball FX

This could be fun as they make great tables. Go big or go extinct. Prime your senses for a neural handshake and step into the cockpit of a Jaeger. It is on you to cancel the apocalypse when Pacific Rim Pinball comes to Pinball FX on May 16.

270°

Microsoft’s Surface and Xbox hardware revenues take a big hit in Q3

Microsoft just posted the third quarter of its 2024 fiscal financial results. The software maker made $61.9 billion in revenue and a net income of $21.9 billion during Q3. Revenue is up 17 percent, and net income has increased by 20 percent.

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theverge.com
darthv721d 3h ago

Xbox content + services up 62% while hardware down 31%... seems about right with the way they tout you don't need the hardware to play. People can play on their phones or smart tv or other means. I don't hardly play on my consoles directly since getting devices like the logitech g-cloud and ps portal. Which is to also say I have been playing more digital than physical because of these devices.

solideagle13h ago

you should apply in MS PR team buddy, I think you will do a great job in my humble opinion :)

Sonic188111h ago

I thought darthv72 and Obscure_Observer already work for Microsoft 🤔

dveio10h ago

MS: "Xbox services and content without AB up 1%, with AB up 62%. Hardware down 31%. In total a loss of 350 mill."

darthv72: "Seems about right."

MS: "Excuse m ..."

darthv72: "I don't hardly play on my consoles directly."

MS:

Lightning776h ago

What he said was facts. How he plays games is no concern of you. Don't get too mad about it.

Cacabunga13h ago

I can tell people like you are an absolute minority..

If service is up means their fans and fanboys accepted this model and subscribed to it. The near future you will see a big decline because the service is saturated.

shinoff218312h ago

But that's been ms for years. When things aren't going their way they try to change the way things are said. For instance console sales are down, they stop telling how many sold instead telling us how many hours spent in halo or headshots. So it makes sense console sales down just say people are playing on more devices then previous. What they won't say is how many xbox players jumped ship to ps5.

Cacabunga11h ago

Hardware sales are so bad that Sony and Nintendo are blowing the sales off the water with their hardware.

If Xbox are losers, others aren’t..
Xbox already tried everything with Xbox live then subscriptions went down so much that they had to find something else. Their fans subscribed then reached saturation rather quickly.

Hardware and exclusive games is where it’s at! Keep gamers excited, announce decent software and people will support you

itsmebryan7h ago

@shin
Well keep it simple Sony 's operating income is down 26% and Microsoft's is up 32%. No MS spin there, just facts. 😉
Cheers

S2Killinit11m ago

MS is after diminishing consoles as a medium. They want to destroy this market because they couldnt win. MS’s vision is to dissolve console gaming.

romulus236h ago

Odd that a company that touts you dont need the hardware to play is already touting another console in the works.

darthv726h ago

They are not reliant on the HW but still want to maintain a presence (no matter how small) is a good thing. It shows commitment to the craft. It reminds me of SNK and how they made games for their own hardware (Neo Geo) while also making them for others because they knew there was a market to do so. They knew they would sell more to others but also sell to their own niche fan base.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 11m ago
purple10116h ago

Xbox hardware revenue tanks to lowest point of Xbox Series generation

Profchaos15h ago

I'm not surprised surface is struggling they aren't relevant anymore

DOMination-5h ago

In the last two years they've started exiting the consumer market altogether. All of the newest Surface products are business models only. They can't seem to work out what they want to do with it.

XBManiac15h ago

Too expensive hardware when others offer the same or more for less? Good work, Green Team.

SimpleDad14h ago(Edited 14h ago)

"Despite some early successes for Xbox games on rival platforms, Xbox hardware is down by a massive 31 percent this quarter."
"Without Activision Blizzard, Microsoft’s overall gaming revenue would have actually declined this quarter."
"Xbox content and services would have only been up a single percent without Activision Blizzard..."
"It looks like next quarter is going to be a similar story for gaming at Microsoft, too."

That is crazy... so A/B/K is carrying the whole Xbox gaming.
Oh and Microsoft will be fine. Windows, Office and Cloud are growing with each pc purchase.

purple10114h ago

Activision: "we gonna need a bigger rucksack/backpack please"

Microsoft: "why's that"

Activision: "to carry yo' weak ass'

Profchaos13h ago(Edited 13h ago)

Top brass have also wanted to start seeing returns on the 100 billion they have put into various Xbox related moves so seeing more multiplatform games is highly likely especially from abk

It's basically saying that PlayStation is the reason Xbox is afloat right now thinks to Ps5 versions of COD

Kornholic12h ago

So basically PS and PC gamers' money is keeping Xbox on life support.

MrDead5h ago

The only growth MS will get out of the console industry is if it supports it's rivals platforms. Xbox is a pointless machine now. I can see them on a big push for live next, and they won't give up on trying to buy Steam.

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140°

Why Monopolies In Gaming Must Not Be Allowed

As of right now, there are no monopolies in the games industry, and for the sake of the medium as a whole, they never should either.

thorstein1d 1h ago

Shouldn't be allowed in any field.

Inverno21h ago

And yet the biggest tech companies in America are essentially that. They buy up all the small comps only to kill them off and steal what they have, and if they can't buy em they bleed them to death.

jwillj2k420h ago

Eventually they’ll realize the value is with the employee not the company. Buying an IP means nothing if the people who contributed are let go. They’ll get it one day.

MrCrimson19h ago

tech is different because they buy threats and then kill them. Twitter bought Vine and did nothing with it. Despite people seemingly liking it. Could've had tiktok a decade before bytedance. go figure.

Zenzuu21h ago

Monopolies shouldn't be allowed regardless. Not just for gaming.

MrCrimson19h ago

They buy IPs not talent. That's why these buyouts never work and the IPs die. Right now it's too expensive to develop games - but I expect that to shift maybe as AI tools can make it easier. The best games have been indie games for awhile as big developers fuck their ips to death with "games as a service" -