340°

Microsoft needs to 'win' at E3 or say goodbye to their customers

Hardcore Gamer: If Microsoft were smart, they’d change their outlook between now and E3 or at least be honest and confess that they’re trying to set-up their consumers. They should speak more about the console itself and give concrete details about how the disc locking and selling of used games will work.

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hardcoregamer.com
BigFnHooters4024d ago (Edited 4024d ago )

"If Microsoft were smart, they’d change their outlook"

The depth of the self delusion is staggering.

It's been four years of the same exact self delusion.

"Next E3 Microsoft is finally going to deliver!"

Consoles and their supporting structure take years to develop and set in motion. What you see right now from Microsoft IS IT.

* Microsoft has shut down almost all of their non-shovelware first party studios. So all this babble about 'showing more games' have to come from somewhere. There simply aren't secret Microsoft first party studios that can magically make these new franchises

* Microsoft has given up on the Asian market so there are no new franchises coming out from developers in that market

* The only possible area for Microsoft is what they've used as a crutch for the past decade - buying Xbox ports of PC games and pass them off as 'exclusives'

* The weak Xbox One hardware was finalized a long time ago and isn't going to change outside of Microsoft canceling launch this year. Nothing is going to change on that front.

Enemy4024d ago (Edited 4024d ago )

Everyone's waiting for the PS4 reveal now. E3 belongs to Sony.

Considering how close E3 is now, Microsoft could have just gone all out today and disappoint at E3 again. It's become a normal thing for them anyway. Instead of impressing, they display this oversized VHS thing with no games, a bunch of TV features in which 3GB of the console will be wasted on leaving only 5GB of RAM for gaming, Kinect expanded meaning more Kinect games, more voice recognition, offline pass (lol), and Call of Duty DLC as their main event.

A clusterf*ck in every regard, and a bad, bad time for it to happen to make matters worse.

4 > One

Edit: Lol @ below.

ApolloTheBoss4024d ago

LOL look what I found. Next Xbox in a nutshell.

scofios4024d ago

Extra fee for playing used games WTF;

you might even have to pay extra fees for a red ring this time.

maxgamehard4024d ago

I believe that Sony will have the best conference but Nintendo will also bring a good amount of content

Sony and Nintendo still care about the core gamer at the end of the day.

Freak of Nature4024d ago (Edited 4024d ago )

It really was a true clusterf*ck....

As a original box and 360 owner this show was exactly what I "did not" want to see...

Start the show with Gears 4, that's how you start the new gen, end it with halo 5, throw in Forza in the middle, something like this, break up the features, yada yada yada...

How about an appearance of Banjo alive and well on the next XBOX1 from Rare? Throw in Black tusk's new IP? They could show more at E3 still, they should have won over fans now, why only at E3? They could have still added looks into these games at E3, plus held back a couple other games...Add 15 minutes to the show, you mean to tell me that fans would actually mind that extra 15 minutes to be able to see 3/4/5 or system selling IP's coming in year 1?

The avoidance of showing more gpu and cpu specs is glaring too....

And just what are the 15 exclusives in year 1? I certainly hope it is "not" the list below. I would hope it would be all hardcore, but get this feeling it will be more like the list below...

Forza 5
Gears of War 4
Halo 5
Rare game
Quantum Break
Black Tusk Game
Fable 4
Ryse

A couple Kinect Exclusive's...
And about 5 XBLA exclusives...

VenomousHail4023d ago

@maxgamehard I agree with you that Sony will have the best conference, but I'm pretty sure Nintendo will not be present at E3.

insomnium24023d ago

Who the HELL wants to give voice commands to a console? It's embarassing to a whole new level.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4023d ago
Pyrrhus4024d ago (Edited 4024d ago )

Im just curious how many of their 15 'exclusives' are actually Kinect games.

BABYLEG4024d ago

There's no such thing as Kinect games. Its called Xbox one games. One system.

Man-E-Faces4024d ago

I would bet half of those are Kinect games, and let me tell you why I can assume this. You don't pack a Kinect in every box and not support it, otherwise Microsoft would still sell it separate as it is now. Kinect now that it's more improved & included will hold more precedent over a traditional controller only game.

EVILDEAD3604024d ago

Nah. They may lose this fanblogger, but they set themselves up good for a great E3.

It goes without saying that, both MS and Sony have to have a great E3 after both of their reveals though.

Evil

cyguration4024d ago

No Sony doesn't have to have a great E3, they just need to show a few more games, a price point and the console itself. That's it. They've got it in the bag.

Unlike MS I know EXACTLY what Sony will be about with the PS4 and it's about the games. I love that. They're working to bring back mid-budget games, which were stamped out due to all the money-chasing this gen. They're bringing in more indies and setting the price ceiling at $60 and the barrier of entry at free-to-play, with EVERYTHING else in between.

Microsoft didn't mention squat about game pricing, they didn't mention squat about game availability. Nothing about tools, nothing about game functionality, feature proofing or future proofing. NOTHING.

I'm sorry but MS has A LOT to show at E3 to warrant any interest out of this disgruntled gamer.

Sony just has to stay the line and they'll be all right. They've already won against MS for as far as I'm concerned unless MS takes a huge step in the opposite direction.

Gaming shouldn't be about buzzwords and marketing ploys. I don't spend my money on crap just so some shareholder can buy a golden yacht.

rainslacker4024d ago

MS is going to have to spend an inordinate amount of time at the Next E3 trying to spin, or better yet convince, all the stuff coming out today as a good thing for the gamer. If E3 is about the games, then well no game in the world is going to make me want an Xbox given what is currently known about it.

Hell, Sony could not do a conference this year ala Nintendo and probably still come out ahead of MS given current news.

Army_of_Darkness4023d ago

If you seriously think sony needs to have a great e3 showing as well even after you've just seen the xbox one reveal, then you clearly are a ms fanboy rather than a gamer.
Wake up bro! Sony's conference slaughtered ms's! And the sad thing is that they went after sony and still bombed!

EVILDEAD3604023d ago (Edited 4023d ago )

Nah. it's 3 weeks prior to E3 and over 6 months prior to launch, MS is perfectly fine.

But, make no mistake, MS has to bring it's A-game to E3.

They said they were using E3 to concentrate on the games, well that's what they need to do.

If they squash the quirky stuff, show great games at E3, then the One is going to fly off the shelves.

But, if they phone it in which there is no indication that they will, then it's going to be an uphill battle.

Evil

edit

@ Army of Darkness

Nah. In my opinion, Sony did exactly what they were supposed to as well in Feb. The hardware stole the show, but they held off on showing the big dogs till E3 as well.

Nothing exempts any of them from needing a good showing at E3.

I didn't see any knockout punches from any of the reveals.

But we all know what franchises Sony has been holding on to for the last 3-4 years.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4023d ago
The_Blue4024d ago

Why is there so much hate for the Xbox?
I don't get it? Its up to the developers. Its always been about games nothing else.

Army_of_Darkness4023d ago

"Its always been about games nothing else."

Exactly the reason why everyone is hating on the xbox one and loving the ps4.
Did you even watch the ps4 reveal??

Virtual_Reality4023d ago

And blocking used games.......

tuglu_pati4023d ago

MS is in deep trouble. I thought Nintendo was in trouble but MS just dug up a deeper hole.

ugly name
bad console design
weak specs
no games
casual oriented

At least Nitendo has a great first party catalog. MS better say "adios" because I dont think they'll make it through this next gen and this is coming from an xbox enthusiast.

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4024d ago Replies(2)
Reborn4024d ago

They need to provide some clarity, before that.

jc485734024d ago

it's like a deadly virus they are hiding from us.

004024d ago

they can't do that without paying a fee.

Rusty5154024d ago

Usher's gotta dance his ass off at E3 after that reveal..

Double_O_Revan4024d ago

I don't think even Usher and his moves can save the One. Not even taking off his shirt.

Rusty5154024d ago

Then Microsoft has to bring out the big guns...Justin Bieber to showcase dance central 4 running on the new kinect 2.0

Double_O_Revan4024d ago

A little late for that.

I said goodbye the moment they decided to block used games. Let alone the always connected policy.

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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.

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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.

Rainbowcookie19h 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.

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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.

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xpgained.co.uk
Fishy Fingers7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

F*** AI

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

Einhander19727d 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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windowscentral.com
Psychonaut8510d ago

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