150°

Xbox absence tells us nothing about next-gen

"The message is clear: the NDAs have
been signed at the highest level. This
next-gen discussion doesn't start until
Microsoft's lawyers say so."

iGAM3R-VIII4073d ago (Edited 4073d ago )

Well it does tell us that MS are stuggling from within and trying to pull of a stunt, when E3 come we gamers will have the answer so we still do not know if MS are building a military supercomputer gaming console lol :P but so far, I am sold on the PS4

StrongMan4073d ago

Well said and I completely agree.

+bubble

Evil_Ryu4072d ago

Blinded fanboyism comment
+Disagree added. Enjoy :)

JoGam4073d ago (Edited 4073d ago )

*Correction* Xbox absence tells us nothing about next-gen 720. Because we know and are learning more about Sony's Next Gen console everyday it seems.

iGAM3R-VIII4073d ago

agreed, it is only Ms who hasn't said a thing about the 720, all we know is all of this leaked unofficial rumoured stuff. Essentially, we do not even know if MS are even making a next gen console.

Knightofelemia4073d ago (Edited 4073d ago )

@ iGAM3R

Microsoft will not drop out of consoles they know there is money to be made in the market with the XBox brand. Microsoft may have done a few stupid things but making money and spending money is what they are good at.

GribbleGrunger4072d ago

Magnus, it was a figure of speech.

Why o why4072d ago (Edited 4072d ago )

MS are one of the 3 so its a third of next gen we no nothing about. The other 2 have laid their cards out. Ill still be picking up a 720 before that wii u anyway.... I know that much.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4072d ago
AngelicIceDiamond4072d ago (Edited 4072d ago )

Immediately one really really stupid comment. And the usual troll agrees with you.

"Well it does tell us that MS are stuggling from within and trying to pull of a stunt"

What tells you MS is struggling within? What.. kind of insane garbage are talkin about?

Listen fanboy:

MS....HAS....NOT....ANNOUNCED ANYTHING REGARDING NEXT GEN YET.

MS doesn't operate on your, or my time, just wait. And who cares if your sold on the PlayStation "so is everyone else" on here. I'll get both eventually but in the mean time I'm still very, very interested on the next Xbox. I'm not sold on the PS4 and obviously the 720 yet so unlike you and everyone else I'll reserve judgment until I get full details on both.

Fanboys I swear....

nukeitall4072d ago (Edited 4072d ago )

It actually depends on what MS shows, but let's face it, at least it doesn't look like MS is acting reactively. That MS have some deep seated plans.

It's not like when the Kinect was revealed at E3 and then Sony came out with an extremely nervous looking Richard Marks with an amateurish presentation that looks like it was conceived hours after MS E3 presentation.

That's the thing, if MS rushes to announce things it might not be announced right and be perceived negatively.

Fact of the matter is, nothing is sold until consumers buy it and that won't be until at least 6 months from now.

Remember how the press said at $150 nobody would buy Kinect. Over 20 million sold later, it sold better than the original Xbox!

Now, remember how the 3DS was believed to perform very badly, and the PS Vita was praised to high heavens by the media? Fast forward, and the 3DS is selling like hotcakes and PS Vita well isn't gaining traction at all.

Point is, there is plenty of time to announce and inform. The big question is, what does MS have to show?

More importantly than that is the execution and management of all that. Nintendo turned 3DS fortunes around, while Sony has yet to achieve anything with the PS Vita.

Talk is easy, but execution is what matters.

majiebeast4072d ago (Edited 4072d ago )

Yeah you can schedule a tech demo in 1 day... Do you know how stupid you sound? Also atleast Sony's move demo was real, same cant be said for kinect which was alot of smoke and mirrors and bad acting.

MikeMyers4072d ago

The speculations and frenzy we see on forums really doesn't amount to much. What matters is what happens at the retail end. There will be plenty of time for consumers to decide which one to get or more than one system.

Some people are just impatient. I like being surprised, often E3 is ruined because of so many early leaks. You're right, Microsoft should not react to the PS4 announcement just for the sale of trying to be relevant. They should stick to their original plan (whatever that may be) and stay the course.

What I want to see from Microsoft at E3 (if that is truly when we hear about the next Xbox first) is for them to come out very confidentially and abolish the rumors front and center. Say "no, we are not forcing you to stay connected online". "No, we are not abandoning the used market". They reveal the specs and the price and the release date. That would shut everyone up and then move on to what the Xbox has to offer. Show real games running. Show Kinect 2 if they are going that route in real applications and not smoke and mirrors.

I want them to treat me with respect and not as being naive. We've seen enough over the years at E3 that never really materialize or mocked up tech demo's. It's time for Microsoft to put up or shut up. Nobody wants to hear about how well Xbox Live is doing or how many systems they have sold in the U.S. They need to be a global market and not have Live hide behind a pay wall.

otherZinc4072d ago

I also like what M$ is doing:

M$ is about to hit that "Game winning buzzer beater" that the opposing team can do nothing to combat because theres no time left on the clock.

M$ waiting til E3 is the best strategy of all times. If they come with what I'm thinking, others will be left scrambling for attention.

I think M$ sees an opportunity for a game winning shot & they're going hard after the Video Game Market.

Like it or not, most will be impressed and haters will not be able to deny what they deliver.

nukeitall4072d ago

@majiebeast:

You know what is stupid? To schedule a tech demo in 1-day for one of the biggest trade shows in the year in front of millions of people.

A lot of these things are at least planned far in advanced and re-hearsed frequently. If you don't you risk looking like Sony did with PS Move announcement.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4072d ago
ps3_pwns4072d ago

i seen people say just wait for e3 when it comes to m$ for the past few years because ps3 been having news way before e3 then when e3 comes out ps3 has even more blow out news. but when e3 comes for M$ its just a bunch of kinect stuff for the past 3 years and either gears or halo and thats pretty much it lol.

i think microsoft kind of screwd so its better to hide the bad news until later instead of having to say the bad new now and then later. When people dont divulge information is because they have very little of it or its bad.

DOMination-4072d ago

Genuine question. What was the blow-out news from Sony's e3 conference last year?

JeffGUNZ4072d ago

How does that tell you that? Let's think for a second, shall we? On January 2, 2013, MS launched a website that counted down to E3, don't believe me, here check the link, Major Nelson even kept the original posted date up top to confirm. http://majornelson.com/2013...
Now, that was posted prior to Sony announcing their 02/20/2013 conference. MS has never had a countdown to E3 before, so let's try and use our brains here. What could that countdown be fore? Hey, you know what, maybe it could be for their new console? Who would have thought. All these signs clearly point to an E3 reveal and there has been absolutely nothing that shows to an earlier reveal date. If ANYTHING, the fact that MS is sticking to their original plan shows they are not intimidated and confident in their product. The only thing we can do is wait, well, most of us, you'll continue trolling.

OpieWinston4072d ago

Everyone knows your sold on the PS4. I see you comment on like every PS4 or 720 story.

Personally I like Xbox exclusives, and prefer to enjoy my massive amount of Steam games :D.

All these arguments about 720 and PS4. We all know Steam is the best gaming system (Yeah I know it's just a distributor.)

But I will agree Playstation has a few exclusives that are awesome...None of the Quantic Dream games come to mind...I play games when i want to play games, I watch movies when I want to watch movies.

Console wars.................

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4072d ago
Freedomland4073d ago

If they keep their silence, they will lose lot of consumers because Microsoft is giving them the chance to make up their mind and once it's done, it will be very difficult to change it again.
Silence is also creating lot of rumors which can have repercussions.

JeffGUNZ4072d ago

Give it a rest. You think you, some guy on n4g.com knows how a business should run over one of the most successful companies in America. Do you people read your comments before you post? All armchair experts and CEO's on this site.

Freedomland4072d ago (Edited 4072d ago )

My friend, this is just an opinion, and about the companies, if they knew everything no company wouldn't ever be bankrupted.

JeffGUNZ4072d ago

I respect your opinion, but your statement comes across as a fact. Glad you clarified. I agree many businesses close due to lack of leadership, business moves, etc, but MS is not one of those businesses.

Knightofelemia4073d ago (Edited 4073d ago )

I actually like the silence about the Xbox720 its buiding hype for me. It makes me want to see what options it has to offer. What kind of ponies are under its hood and what the line up of games its going to offer. Its not like the hype of Final Fantasy VS13 with a few dabbles here a little info there and maybe a few videos, Personally I lost the hype on that game and could careless about it now. But the hype with the Xbox720 is you it will be released and you'll be able to play it and be excited about the console. Not like waiting half a console generation for Final Fantasy VS13. I just want Microsoft to test and amp up quality control on the console lord knows another RROD problem would be bad.

gamertk4214072d ago

I sense some hurt feelings regarding FFV13.

B-radical4072d ago

Well we only have speculations so far. Double precision gpu or a weak gpu. Kinnect to play or not kinnect to play. None the less the silence better pay off.

thechosenone4072d ago (Edited 4072d ago )

He makes an excellent point.

"For next-gen consoles, momentum appears to be suggesting that unless a more progressive platform-holder emerges after these months of silence and turmoil, they might awaken too late to find the industry changed around them. And by then it'll be too late."

Show all comments (47)
150°

10 Biggest Xbox Mistakes of All Time (So Far)

The Xbox brand has done a lot of good over the years, but their various blunders are pretty wild to look back on in their magnitude.

Read Full Story >>
culturedvultures.com
piroh3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Ironically number 9 can save them at this point (releasing games on multiple platforms)

ChasterMies2d ago

By “save them” you mean make more profit for Microsoft. Xbox will still be a dying hardware platform.

OtterX2d ago

You could add the naming scheme for the consoles, it just confuses customers. I know they wanted to avoid traditional numbering bc it would always be lower than their competitor, but this whole 360 then One then Series thing is confusing af. Imagine a Soccer Mom trying to figure this stuff out. I still mistakenly call the Series X the One from time to time on accident.

RNTody2d ago

Don't forget about the Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox Series X! Good luck to Soccer moms around the world.

S2Killinit2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

They did that on purpose to confuse and direct attention away from the generational numbering.

MS doesn’t like reminding people that they joined the industry after others had already been involved in gaming.

For instance, they called the xbox “360” to combat PlayStation “3” because they wanted to seem like “more” than “3”, so instead of xbox 2, they opted for xbox 360. Also this had the additional benefit of selling consoles to uninformed parents who might purchase a “360” instead of a “3” by mistake, or because they thought 360 was more than 3. Kind of a disingenuous move.

They have been continuing with their confusing naming patterns for pretty much the same reasons. Frankly, it fits with who and what they are as a brand.

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 17h ago

I can understand their reasoning, but whoever came up with that naming scheme should be fired, bad naming schemes have killed consoles (I'm pretty sure it was the major reason for the downfall of the WiiU). They should have had unqiue names like Nintendo and Sega have had for their consoles, far less confusing for the consumer.

Cacabunga2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Phil Spencer is the worst that has happened to Xbox.
They built a respectable brand up to Xbox one. Then this guy took over and things became a joke

Reaper22_2d ago

He still has his job. Something you can't say about Jim Ryan.

Cacabunga2d ago

Both bad execs. One is on job and one thankfully retired.

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 17h ago (Edited 1d 17h ago )

I didn't like either person, both people damaged their respective brands and produced worse outcomes, but Phil did save the Xbox brand from being retired by Microsoft. Although in hindsight, he should have just let it die, rather than languish in limbo like it is now.

Rainbowcookie18h ago

Yeah but the one that was "bad" didn't even affect sales.

bunt-custardly2d ago

Phil Spencer was also on the team back when 360 was around, alongside Shane Kim, Peter Moore etc. I think the damage that did the most harm was the Don Mattrick "Always Online" console (ahead of its time basically). They handed Sony and Nintendo a free-pass when that was revealed. It went downhill from there. Then the corporate machine went into full swing to try and recover. They have to a degree as a games company for the masses, and less so for the core gamer. Outside USA, the Xbox brand does not sell as well as Japanese based consoles (citation needed).

Cacabunga2d ago

Want a decision maker. The always online and TV plans was a disaster yes, but they caught up by announcing 1st party games that gamers actually kept the hype going.. until this moron took over and introduced the PC day one release.. e all know where that ended..

S2Killinit2d ago

I dont think they were ever a respectable brand, not since the beginning, when their goal was never to be involved and share in the gaming space. I think the OG xbox was an exception because MS as a brand was still getting its foot in and so the people behind that were people of the gaming industry.

FinalFantasyFanatic1d 17h ago

The 360 was the brand in its prime though, everything went downhill towards the end of that generation. Its staple games like Halo, Forza and Gears are what kept the console relevant and afloat for so long.

MaximusPrime_2d ago

Really good video.

I remember the days with RRoD was big news on here, N4G.

Microsoft had it turbulence number of years.

Looking at the success of Sea of Thieves despite being 6 years old, time to release Halo, Forza horizon 4 & 5 on PS5. It'll help their revenue

shinoff21832d ago (Edited 2d ago )

2 of the 4 games they did already sold really well. So it's definitely going down. Idk about halo or forza but I feel those studios they've bought in the last 5 years, their coming

ChasterMies2d ago

I found this video painful to watch. Can someone list them out?

Top 10 for me from are:
1. 2013 reveal presentation
2. Bundling Kinect 2 with Xbox One
3. RRoD or why rushing to market with hardware is always a bad idea.
4. Buying studios only to close them.
5. Ads on the Home Screen
6. Letting Halo die.
7. Letting Geard of War die.
8. Every console name
9. Charging for Xbox Live on Xbox 360 when Sony let PS3 players play online for free.
10. Cancelling release of OG Xbox games after the Xbox 360 launched.

Show all comments (30)
150°

Microsoft to Add Copilot AI to Video Games

Microsoft recently revealed its plans to incorporate Copilot directly into video games, with Minecraft being the first showcased example.

Read Full Story >>
xpgained.co.uk
Fishy Fingers6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

F*** AI

"Hey Copilot, what's a good meme to prove I dislike AI".... https://giphy.com/clips/sou...

Einhander19726d ago

Two trillion dollar company that just can't wait to put as many people possible out of work as fast as possible.

It feels like every single thing they do is making gaming worse and destroying the industry.

6d ago
6d ago
6d ago
darthv726d ago

....you know it takes people to program the AI.... right? It isnt like it is sentient. We haven't reach skynet level of situation or anywhere close to the matrix just yet.

That's next Thursday.

Einhander19725d ago (Edited 5d ago )

It takes a people to program the AI then that AI is used for who knows how many games eliminating countless jobs which only grows as AI is used for more and more game creation functions.

What you're saying is so ridiculously short sighted and truly larking any kind of understanding and foresight.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5d ago
CaptainFaisal6d ago

Why all the hate? Im actually excited about this! Always wanted this kind of immersion, and an AI companion with me all the time helping me out knowing the status of my skills/inventory/progress and giving me tips on the best approach or how to craft something specific is game changing for the industry.

Hate all you want about AI, but this is just the start and I can see the potential already. You wont be complaining in the next 5-10 years about this, but rather complain if a game hasn’t implemented it.

MrDead6d ago

Yes we can't wait for the work of others to be used without the need to pay them so that MS can profit even more from the people they fire.

I_am_Batman6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

There is no chance I'd ever use something like this, especially if it's not part of the core game design, but a layer on top of it. It's way too much handholding. Many games already feel like busy work, because they don't let the player figure things out on their own. Having a real-time interactive guide defeats the purpose of playing the game in the first place in my opinion.

If this were to become the standard like you predict, we'll see more and more video games get away with bad design, because people will just be used to ask for help from the AI companion anyway.

Number1TailzFan6d ago

Well Nintendo don't need this with some of their games these days, with invincible characters, items, easy bosses etc.. they do the hand holding built in

helicoptergirl6d ago

Takes "hand holding" in games to a whole new level.

BlackDoomAx5d ago

Because human nature xD Almost every new technology had these kind of comments.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5d ago
Show all comments (19)
70°

Activision team is opening a new game studio in Poland 'Elsewhere Entertainment' to build new AAA IP

Microsoft's Activision subsidiary announced today that it is opening a new game development studio to take advantage of the huge talent pool growing in Poland. It'll be the second Activision studio based in the region, joining Infinity Ward Krakow, although this studio is, in fact, not working on Call of Duty.

Read Full Story >>
windowscentral.com
Psychonaut8510d ago

They’re not working on Call of Duty? Give it time.