290°

Four Mistakes Microsoft Should Correct Next Console Generation

"With more than 70 million units sold around the world and a particularly healthy commercial performance of late, there’s no doubt that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 system has more than held its own this console generation.

"But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement when the console’s successor rolls around. And with the new Xbox due to land at the back-end of next year, a number of shortcomings really should be addressed."

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fmvmagazine.com
theDECAY4136d ago

I think the difference between Xbox Live and PSN is getting smaller and smaller, so maybe a different revenue idea for Xbox Live. People aren't going to want to pay when they know they can get the same on PSN for free.

legendof1174136d ago

I disagree. The numbers are growing for Xbox Live members.

PirateThom4136d ago

XBox Live also includes Silver. As they sell more consoles, they get more users. Very simple. Microsoft don't give the numbers of Gold users same way Sony won't tell how many multiple region accounts people have or PS+ Subscribers.

ALLWRONG4136d ago

Actually MS does give Live numbers and Gold is growing.

Nice try though

LAWSON724136d ago

No one is saying they are getting smaller thedecay is saying the gap between the two is getting smaller and smaller

BitbyDeath4136d ago

Live only has around 12 million paid members which isn't very many.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011...

EVILDEAD3604136d ago

Gold has always been around 50% of the overall Xbox Live number. It was quoted in 2010 at 12 million before Slim and Kinect and the 360 had its best holiday ever and certain people are still quoting the number even bought bough MS keep saying that there has been growth every single year.

Either way Xbox live has been far from a mistake. In fact it's been the 360s killer app the entire gen.

Evil

mewhy324135d ago (Edited 4135d ago )

I agree with evadus. Xbox live is just getting bigger and bigger. Many many many more apps available on xbox live than psn. Psn also tends to lag more than xbox live for online play. Instead of Xbox live becoming more that PSN .... it's PSN that's becoming more like Xbox live....ie PSN Plus. Sony is pushing plus every chance it gets!!! Now to the article, I agree that Microsoft could do better with the exclusive market but from a business standpoint I can see why they don't. Xbox has a bigger install base and is outselling ps3 without many exclusive titles. Microsoft doesn't need exclusives to help keep Xbox 360 ahead of ps3. It's already ahead and has been since it's launch. As a gamer I would love to see more exclusives, (that's why I have a ps3), from microsoft, but as a student of business I understand why they don't. If you're already beating your competition, then why would you want to spend millions and millions on exclusive software development(like Sony does)? and shrink your profit margins????? Let the third party developers eat the cost. Microsoft gets licensing fees for every game sold (no development cost) and their console is already outselling the competition. More profit. I want more exclusives but I understand why that's not happening.
I agree with the author that I don't want to see microsoft rely on too much on kinect. It's ok for kids but that's about it. As for the Japanese market?? They are very loyal to japanese brands and companies. It's a small market also. Marketing dollars would be better spent in europe and the U.S.

ravinash4135d ago

@ mewhy32

The reason MS should invest more in exclusives is because despite having a year head start to Sony, the PS3 has been slowly eating into MS lead to the point that world wide some reports say it has past xbox 360.
Of cause worldwide it's hard to prove one way or the other, but if MS want to keep the lead it needs to do more that just sit there thinking it doesn't need to do anymore.

Sony has had to cover a lot of ground to get PSN up to the same level as Xbox Live, and there are things they will not be able to fix until the next model Playstation comes out.
But when the next models do come out and people look back at the history of which console created the most exclusives for hard core gamers... which company do you think will come out on top if the online services were about the same but one had on line gaming free?

Other factors like timing and cost will also have an effect, but only time will tell.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4135d ago
RuleofOne343 4136d ago (Edited 4136d ago )

Have paid for XBL now going on almost six years & even with free offering else where am still not interested , besides I like what am offered + friends ,family are all on their. (Let the disagrees for being different or like minded begin.)

hazardman4136d ago (Edited 4136d ago )

I have xbox live since it came out and just like you I have my friend and family on it. So hard for me to give up, but I hope that when new console comes out that Microsoft will have free online play. Either way I know I'm gonna buy it, but my kids will not be getting one if I still have to pay. I pay for mine in addition to 2 of my daughters and just yesterday my wife asked why are we paying for Internet and xbox live? Damn!!!

4135d ago
Belking4136d ago (Edited 4136d ago )

but you can't get the same for free. PSn still isn't as unified as xbox live and you still don't have cross game chat with ps3 on psn. There are still things MS does with live that are superior to that of psn. Things like download speed and unification are just a few things that live does better. Yes, sony has closed the gap but Live is still the better service. It will be hard for sony to best MS in this area because this is mostly software and this is something that ms does well. Live being better is only my opinion of course. I'm some will disagree.

AngelicIceDiamond4136d ago (Edited 4136d ago )

I agree, XBL is for unity and coming together for well, whatever you please. Along with fast DL speed constant updates, beacons among others such as F2P games, soon to be fully realized come next year.

I think the basic right out of the box standard multiplayer should be available free for the average Joe who just wants to game online. While his options to subscribe to be completely up to him.

Other than Live is great, it only improves and gets better. Next gen Live should be nothing short of amazing.

TekoIie4136d ago (Edited 4136d ago )

One thing I would like is steams level of sales. The amount I save on steam every year trumps that of BOTH PS+ and XBL's sales.

Genuine question! How come XBL and PS+ cant match Steam on this? Not trying to troll or anything just interested :/

solid_warlord4136d ago ShowReplies(3)
4135d ago
lfclee4135d ago

Totally agree why would I want to pay good hard earned money spending it on something that I can get free else where , that was one of the reasons why I quit Xbox and them annoying apps which I really don't need.

Daoshai4135d ago

Because its better? It would actually surprise me if Sony doesn't charge with ps4. That'll be a fun day on n4g

Godmars2904135d ago

But given that MS's main focus has become media in general and not just games, they probably figure that they'll be able to get away with charging for the "Xbox Experience".

shutUpAndTakeMyMoney4135d ago

They should make games. Would be a good idea.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 4135d ago
Dms20124136d ago

Getting the hardware quality locked down out of the gate is my number 1 concern. Although I am pretty sure MS learned its lesson. More exclusives would be nice as well.

caseh4135d ago Show
jimbobwahey4136d ago

The sad thing is that PSN does everything Xbox Live does and more for free. It has full cross-game voice chat and party systems on the Vita already, for example. A handheld console offering a superior service to Xbox Live for free really makes you reconsider shelling out the stupid yearly fees Microsoft asks for.

RuleofOne343 4136d ago (Edited 4136d ago )

You ever consider that maybe it's not what they offer , but maybe people buy what they prefer or like or feel comfortable with. Lets be honest just cause u like it doesn't mean everyone will like it , imagine if everyone liked the same thing that would be boring as hell.

@jimbobwahey more user as in having more than one free account , cause if that the case that not having more user. that's user having more than one account. So do you switch ISP when they suffer set backs outages seeing as how you pay for that services also or when the power goes out.

jimbobwahey4136d ago

I imagine that's why PSN has way more users than Xbox Live yeah, a lot more people prefer what Sony offers and consider it to be a superior service I guess.

For me personally though, having owned a Xbox 360 since launch, I was really frustrated when the original Modern Warfare launched and Xbox Live went down for about a month. It was really frustrating to pay for a service that didn't even work, while PS3 owners could play the game online for free without any problems.

That was the time I decided to invest in a PS3 :)

Halochampian4136d ago

I dont know if I would say superior. I love the Vita's UI and everything for a handheld but one thing that always bugs me is the 15 minute minimum for message updates. I know its a battery hog and all but I would love it to be closer to instant. I could even handle 5 mins.

I enjoy Xbox Live's interface more but that's not to say PSN's is bad.

hazardman4136d ago

I disagreed only because I don't care about the vita having said features but my ps3 as most of my gaming is done on it. I'm not a handheld type dude!

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4135d ago
KrisButtar4136d ago

if the next box is going with the shoveware kinect 2.0, no thanks. i already lost fable which still bugs the hell outta me. hope they dont mess with my halo in the same way

kneon4136d ago

If the next Halo includes the Master Chief dance off then you know they've jumped the shark ;)

CyborgNinjaGreyFox4136d ago

they need to Continue with 360 lol

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90°

EKWB reportedly plagued with financial disarray many gaming pc's left without parts

EK Cooling allegedly has slipped itself into a hot soup of seemingly endless financial woes, where it has not paid its staff, suppliers, and contractors for many months as the company is facing liquidity problems and a surplus of inventory left unsold, stuck in the warehouse for a more extended period. Gamers Nexus investigated these claims made by former and current personnel, where he found trails of unpaid bills lasting as long as three to four months and unpaid raises that accumulated for almost a year.

EK Water Blocks has two entities—a Slovenian-based headquarters and a US-based subsidiary, EK Cooling Solutions. Steve narrated the series of events in detail, stating that the company was reportedly irresponsible and negligent regarding payment. Consequently, partners and employees are forced to share the burden of alleged mismanagement. It all begins with its extensive range of products, leading to a surplus of goods. EK has over 230 water blocks, 40 liquid cooling kits, 85 reservoirs, 40 pumps, 73 radiators, and 212 miscellaneous accessories.

Read Full Story >>
tomshardware.com
just_looken2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Yes this is not about video games directly but indirectly this will impact the pc gaming/workstation space hard.

This company is massive one of two in the water cool space so if it goes poof then thousands out there have no spare parts or half built computers.

SO yeah i know not about a video game but think of it as amd leaving the pc space but this is ekwb that could be leaving water cooling in the pc space

Jayz2cents a supporter of there products also has issues
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

90°

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron - Coming Back for a New Generation

Originally launched in 2011, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is coming to Nintendo Switch, so It's time to look back at the original.

jznrpg9h ago

Still have my ps3 copies. Bought it at launch and another one when I found it cheap and in perfect condition about 10 years ago. I wouldn’t buy it on Switch but if they made a PS5 version I would. I still have one of my PS3 Fats hooked up so good to go either way.

darthv728h ago

Id play it again on the switch. I wished my 360 version was bc but this is still a good way to play.

150°

Fallout 3's Reveal Led To Death Threats And Bethesda's First Security Guard

The artist behind Fallout 4’s Deathclaw reveals just how bad things got back when Bethesda took over the series

anast10h ago

People are stupid I get it. No one should feel unsafe,

But I think they need to talk about why they cut so many corners during the development process and why none of their games ever look current. And why they think all of this is okay while they charge full price.

LucasRuinedChildhood10h ago

As much as Bethesda deserve criticism, that's not really relevant to the reveal of Fallout 3 in 2007.

VenomUK7h ago

The default angle Kotaku always go for is to highlight the worst in gaming.

I would’ve focused on the creative.

gold_drake6h ago

there is no "but". the hell lol
you dont send death threats, period.