That's very sad news.... ... cause I buy a console for GAMES. Not for Apps and gimmicks and whatever.
Luckily, the last few years the 360 has still had some excellent games coming to XBLA Marketplace, which DID still appeal to me as a gamer (Trials Evo, Mark of the Ninja, Super Meat Boy, etc etc)...
... but other than that, their last 3 E3-presentations have been extremely disappointing (to me) with all the focus on Kinect en Apps for the dashboard, and they haven't really come out with new IPs. Sadly.
There's a new 360 commercial in the UK and it doesn't even advertise any games. Shows where Microsoft's priorities are. I find it extremely annoying how they seem to be dropping the core gamer at the moment, hopefully it's just because the 360 is near the end of its lifespan and they're investing time into new games for the next Xbox.
Many do not seem to understand that there is a need to extend the appeal and relevance of the platform beyond what it may have started out as.
we have seen this in the past but we are seeing it more and more with both the PS3 and wii included. Especially because of the dynamic nature of these platform and how they can evolve into something more.
Many traditionalists would only look to a game console for one purpose. Games, and i would agree. But that was back in the day when gaming wasnt a mainstream enterprise like it is now.
Buying a console is no longer considered a disposable means of entertainment. It is an investment. I can think of the old systems and how they would try to find some way to still remain relevant in light of new platforms to be released. Be that in the redesign phase to lower cost and get consumers to adopt them or by way of finding new tricks to wring out every last drop of power from their aging inards.
As someone who has played games since the 70's i can say i have seen many companies try to rebrand themselves only to fail into obscurity. Both MS and Sony seem to be onto something with the popularity of their brands.
Taking the names into the next level and creating the infrastructure to expand from is the logical decision.
folks on here on living in the past, these gaming grandpas should go drive their model T's to Woolworth and buy some more depends.
he said tongue firmly in cheek
seriously though this is the future, a one stop shop for entertainment. The line will no longer be don't touch that dial, it will be don't turn off that console
i went from xbox fanboy having one since launch date to now where i sold my 360 last month for good. now i just have a ps3 :( i def wont be buying a xbox 720 by looking at the direction MS is heading.
I can still play games on my Xbox as well as millions of others around the world. what's the problem? You always complain about apps and streams something that's none gaming, well, I got some even more sad news for you.
It's called getting with the times, every single device has streams and apps. No more is it only a PC thing you have to understand that.
I know some people who only a use Netflix and Hulu for there console and they play allot of casual games along with some hardcore.
I know N4G it's a horror story. Its my horror story for the sake of the month but it's a story that's based off true events.
Just because they use there console for casual and movies and TV doesn't mean I do? I buy critically acclaimed XBL arcade games, I buy allot of the third and 1st party hardcore games I use partychat for communication and getting with friends in an intense game. And to wind down I watch neflix until I pass out. the next morning I get ready for school.
It's called a lifestyle. Don't let something as trivial such as apps change your image of what the Xbox's core functionality is. Consoles are looked at differently more than ever.
And if you asked me, I like the way gaming consoles are looked at now than 15 to 20 years ago. More families see the positive in consoles these days.
Back in the 90's it was only a pipe dream to see consoles as a "positive" thing.
Damn it i bought a phone to make calls & receive calls, but damn i can search the net ,text,shop,get directions,go any where with it ,but all i wanted was a phone WTF phone companies.
I find it funny how when the 360 came out, it was supposed to be all about games, Sony said from the beginning that the PS3 is an all round media entertainment unit
"PS3 has no games, its ok though, atleast you can still watch movies on it" I remember N4G comments like that
That's true.... ... and I started out loving and playing my 360 more...
... and somehow the last few years things have flipped around, and Sony seems much more intent on keeping their focus on bringing out new original IPs, and as a result I'm now playing more and more on my PS3, buying multi-platform games for the PS3 instead of for the 360.
I really feel MS has dropped the ball this generation by shifting their focus away from games, and Sony has picked up that ball and ran with it. Especially with the excellent PS+ service which puts Xbox Live Gold to shame in terms of value for money.
(Although downloading something from PSN is still awkwardly slow.w.w.w.w.w here in Holland)
Lucky that some folks on N4G don't represent the majority of people who own the 360.
I for one am glad that they offer other services besides just games. Netflix has been a life saver for nights where there's nothing on TV also HBO Go is my new favorite app only because of the great shows that come on there.
Are you glad that they charge you to use Netflix though? I wouldn't be - it's more than dodgy. Charging yearly to use third-party web apps and an internet browser is really, really dodgy.
When every web-enabled TV in the near future has these apps to access freely, MS are gonna have a real hard time justifying these things that they do. I just hope people can wake up to that sort of thing.
This tbh. I can connect my TV to the internet and download apps for stuff like youtube, facebook, netflix, lovefilm etc. Much easier to navigate through the tv too and convenient. I'd say it's only a matter of time also before Sky start offering the same sort of services through their skybox.
Well, they just made me 150% sure that im not buying another console from them ever again.. They wana go casual & be mostly about media, go for it without me.. I have no problem buying ALL 3rd party on PS4 alone..
People aren't reading this right, at least I don't think they are. Microsoft isn't dropping games, they are a huge corporation with a lot of money and can support more than one median. The Xbox brand has grown in the United States to a pretty big level. It makes sense to add to that in the future, it doesn't take away anything from the games aspect, just broadens the appeal of the brand to more people.
I believe Nintendo came out and said just about the same thing recently, they are an entertainment company, not just a game company. That doesn't mean they don't make games for their consoles, it just means they do MORE than just make games for their consoles.
In the future if consoles want to survive, they will need to do more than just play games, it wont be just Microsoft offering more than gaming, it'll be Sony and Nintendo too. I'd just be careful when bashing Microsoft for saying they want to do more than just gaming, because Nintendo has said it as well and obviously Sony already has a ton of media apps and will probably advertise the PS4 as more than a game system as well. Sony does movies, televisions and a ton of electronics...
As a gamer a strongly disagree Microsoft are on the right track. Add a few new IPs to get excited about and have them show that they personally care about their core gamers then I'd be all for these little things, most of which will become far less desirable when more families upgrade their TVs to the latest models which come with app support.
Also remember, most of these "Sony fans" are actually former 360 gamers who have just lost faith in Microsoft and have gone where the games are. This place used to have far more 360 fans than Sony back when games like gears of war were just coming out.
Well, sorry Microsoft, but I won't buy your next-gen console if the only games you have are Halo, Gears, Forza and Fable.
Microsoft's amount of game releases in the last 3 years has been so weak that it's almost sad how poor it is. The games are solid but they're not something I would buy the Xbox 8 for.
I'd rather have a much larger library of different games. They really have to convince me in the next E3 if they want me or pretty much any hardcore gamer to buy their console over Sony's who keep releasing next and exciting IPs almost every year.
I'm not personally interested in Netflix or any music service. I bought the console for the games, not some music/tv services.
This isn't surprising. Sony has been trying to do the same thing for a while now; it just seems Microsoft has been more successful at it.
At a press conference before the opening of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) trade show here, Sony executives summed up an array of hardware add-ons and software and service partnerships--most of them previously leaked to the media--that will transform the PS2 into an all-purpose home entertainment and whatnot center.
"We see a convergence of entertainment--film, music, broadcasting," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment of America. "We are obviously the brand for the living room."
"...(the PS3) is not a game machine." - Ken Kutaragi
"Speaking about the PS3, we never said we will release a game console...it is radically different from the previous PlayStation. It is clearly a computer. Indeed, with a game console, you need to take out any unnecessary elements inside the console in order to decrease its cost...this will of course apply to the PS3 as well...however, the PS3 is a computer..." - Ken Kutaragi
Some of the comments on here are puzzling. Microsoft aren't dropping their support for games, rather, they're just saying that they're re-branding their other services (video, music, etc.) with the "Xbox" name. These services have always existed, but now they're just being re-branded. I think that's the point of what they're trying to get across.
And I think we're seeing a major slow-down in their production of 360 games, with the exception to Halo 4, Forza Horizon, Judgement, because they probably have all of their other major studios working on next-gen games.
I must agree since since so far the XBox 360 is the only console I ever used for anything besides video games (DVD's and music) on a consistent basis. I see some posters angry about it because Microsoft beat Sony at their own "all-in-one entertainment hub" game.
360 started out like a house on fire with games, games and more games. Back then Xbox fans were "Its all about the games". Nowadays the "games" don't matter according to 360 brethren. So the 360 camp should be happy with what they have now. That said, MS and Sony has said they want to own the entertainment room years ago even before this generation started so i dont see why so many are so surprised by both Sony and MS plans. MS developing an Xbox ecosystem is a step in the right direction. Will most likely go with Xbox 720 next gen as a multipurpose device appeals to me, especially when i can still enjoy AAA gaming.
yall really need to go back and listen to Microsoft back in 2000 about their plan for the living room its about entertainment "games is entertainment" movies, music, and now apps thanks to apple for that evolution is all entertainment at its best now!!!!!
Problem is sony has been doing that since launch of the ps3, but the key difference is sony hasn't neglected gamers, if anything they are giving gamers almost too many choices.
Ms has not had the same level of dedication to it's core gamer base, which has seen a significant drop off in content geared towards them. Ms putting a heavy emphasis on kinect/casuals is what, is likely causing many xbox owners to respond to this with a cynical outlook.
Nintendo is just now adopting experiences/services sony and ms have been using/heading towards for several yrs now.
If the 360's last half was as hardcore/core(whatever) focused as it's first half, this wouldn't even be a relevant topic.
... cause I buy a console for GAMES. Not for Apps and gimmicks and whatever.
Luckily, the last few years the 360 has still had some excellent games coming to XBLA Marketplace, which DID still appeal to me as a gamer (Trials Evo, Mark of the Ninja, Super Meat Boy, etc etc)...
... but other than that, their last 3 E3-presentations have been extremely disappointing (to me) with all the focus on Kinect en Apps for the dashboard, and they haven't really come out with new IPs. Sadly.
Shows where Microsoft's priorities are.
I find it extremely annoying how they seem to be dropping the core gamer at the moment, hopefully it's just because the 360 is near the end of its lifespan and they're investing time into new games for the next Xbox.
that there is a need to extend the appeal and relevance of the platform beyond what it may have started out as.
we have seen this in the past but we are seeing it more and more with both the PS3 and wii included. Especially because of the dynamic nature of these platform and how they can evolve into something more.
Many traditionalists would only look to a game console for one purpose. Games, and i would agree. But that was back in the day when gaming wasnt a mainstream enterprise like it is now.
Buying a console is no longer considered a disposable means of entertainment. It is an investment. I can think of the old systems and how they would try to find some way to still remain relevant in light of new platforms to be released. Be that in the redesign phase to lower cost and get consumers to adopt them or by way of finding new tricks to wring out every last drop of power from their aging inards.
As someone who has played games since the 70's i can say i have seen many companies try to rebrand themselves only to fail into obscurity. Both MS and Sony seem to be onto something with the popularity of their brands.
Taking the names into the next level and creating the infrastructure to expand from is the logical decision.
folks on here on living in the past, these gaming grandpas should go drive their model T's to Woolworth and buy some more depends.
he said tongue firmly in cheek
seriously though this is the future, a one stop shop for entertainment. The line will no longer be don't touch that dial, it will be don't turn off that console
It's called getting with the times, every single device has streams and apps. No more is it only a PC thing you have to understand that.
I know some people who only a use Netflix and Hulu for there console and they play allot of casual games along with some hardcore.
I know N4G it's a horror story. Its my horror story for the sake of the month but it's a story that's based off true events.
Just because they use there console for casual and movies and TV doesn't mean I do? I buy critically acclaimed XBL arcade games, I buy allot of the third and 1st party hardcore games I use partychat for communication and getting with friends in an intense game. And to wind down I watch neflix until I pass out. the next morning I get ready for school.
It's called a lifestyle. Don't let something as trivial such as apps change your image of what the Xbox's core functionality is. Consoles are looked at differently more than ever.
And if you asked me, I like the way gaming consoles are looked at now than 15 to 20 years ago. More families see the positive in consoles these days.
Back in the 90's it was only a pipe dream to see consoles as a "positive" thing.
"PS3 has no games, its ok though, atleast you can still watch movies on it" I remember N4G comments like that
... and I started out loving and playing my 360 more...
... and somehow the last few years things have flipped around, and Sony seems much more intent on keeping their focus on bringing out new original IPs, and as a result I'm now playing more and more on my PS3, buying multi-platform games for the PS3 instead of for the 360.
I really feel MS has dropped the ball this generation by shifting their focus away from games, and Sony has picked up that ball and ran with it. Especially with the excellent PS+ service which puts Xbox Live Gold to shame in terms of value for money.
(Although downloading something from PSN is still awkwardly slow.w.w.w.w.w here in Holland)
I for one am glad that they offer other services besides just games. Netflix has been a life saver for nights where there's nothing on TV also HBO Go is my new favorite app only because of the great shows that come on there.
When every web-enabled TV in the near future has these apps to access freely, MS are gonna have a real hard time justifying these things that they do. I just hope people can wake up to that sort of thing.
"every web-enabled TV in the near future has these apps to access freely,"
Well until we get there I'll be content with what I have.
really believe what you typed? I have to ask because it looks like neither of you understand appeal and relevance.
Especially this late in the gen.
I believe Nintendo came out and said just about the same thing recently, they are an entertainment company, not just a game company. That doesn't mean they don't make games for their consoles, it just means they do MORE than just make games for their consoles.
In the future if consoles want to survive, they will need to do more than just play games, it wont be just Microsoft offering more than gaming, it'll be Sony and Nintendo too. I'd just be careful when bashing Microsoft for saying they want to do more than just gaming, because Nintendo has said it as well and obviously Sony already has a ton of media apps and will probably advertise the PS4 as more than a game system as well. Sony does movies, televisions and a ton of electronics...
I'm Emperor Obama, and I approve this message.
But it is funny to read all these comments, most likely from Sony fans. Do you forget that a lot of consumers bought a PS3 just for bluray?
Everyone wants to be that sole entertainment device for the living room.... Sony, MS, and even Nintendo.
Just seems MS has just way ahead of the competition. Just check out the latest smart glass video below.
Related video
Also remember, most of these "Sony fans" are actually former 360 gamers who have just lost faith in Microsoft and have gone where the games are. This place used to have far more 360 fans than Sony back when games like gears of war were just coming out.
Microsoft's amount of game releases in the last 3 years has been so weak that it's almost sad how poor it is. The games are solid but they're not something I would buy the Xbox 8 for.
I'd rather have a much larger library of different games. They really have to convince me in the next E3 if they want me or pretty much any hardcore gamer to buy their console over Sony's who keep releasing next and exciting IPs almost every year.
I'm not personally interested in Netflix or any music service. I bought the console for the games, not some music/tv services.
At a press conference before the opening of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) trade show here, Sony executives summed up an array of hardware add-ons and software and service partnerships--most of them previously leaked to the media--that will transform the PS2 into an all-purpose home entertainment and whatnot center.
"We see a convergence of entertainment--film, music, broadcasting," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment of America. "We are obviously the brand for the living room."
"...(the PS3) is not a game machine."
- Ken Kutaragi
"Speaking about the PS3, we never said we will release a game console...it is radically different from the previous PlayStation. It is clearly a computer. Indeed, with a game console, you need to take out any unnecessary elements inside the console in order to decrease its cost...this will of course apply to the PS3 as well...however, the PS3 is a computer..."
- Ken Kutaragi
Microsoft aren't dropping their support for games, rather, they're just saying that they're re-branding their other services (video, music, etc.) with the "Xbox" name. These services have always existed, but now they're just being re-branded. I think that's the point of what they're trying to get across.
And I think we're seeing a major slow-down in their production of 360 games, with the exception to Halo 4, Forza Horizon, Judgement, because they probably have all of their other major studios working on next-gen games.
Why are you people on here if you hate MS so much?
XBOX 360 is the entertainment center of the living room, all in one place, movies, music web browser etc etc for just $250
360 started out like a house on fire with games, games and more games. Back then Xbox fans were "Its all about the games".
Nowadays the "games" don't matter according to 360 brethren.
So the 360 camp should be happy with what they have now.
That said, MS and Sony has said they want to own the entertainment room years ago even before this generation started so i dont see why so many are so surprised by both Sony and MS plans.
MS developing an Xbox ecosystem is a step in the right direction.
Will most likely go with Xbox 720 next gen as a multipurpose device appeals to me, especially when i can still enjoy AAA gaming.
I'll take games from Nintendo and Sony over Microsoft's brand of "entertainment" any day.
Nintendo says they aren't a gaming brand but an entertainment brand now. They now have tv and media on the wii u.
Just because you are doing more than one thing on a console doesn't mean you can't do both well.
Why should we artificially restrict ourselves when the device is capable of so much more.
Ms has not had the same level of dedication to it's core gamer base, which has seen a significant drop off in content geared towards them. Ms putting a heavy emphasis on kinect/casuals is what, is likely causing many xbox owners to respond to this with a cynical outlook.
Nintendo is just now adopting experiences/services sony and ms have been using/heading towards for several yrs now.
If the 360's last half was as hardcore/core(whatever) focused as it's first half, this wouldn't even be a relevant topic.