90°

Open Windows, closed platform?

Sean Knight has lots of questions when it comes to Windows 8. Will the closed platform of Microsoft's Windows Store be an aid or a hindrance?

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press2reset.com
guitar_nerd_234631d ago

I think it's total balls Xbox Live is pretty much built into the new Windows, I won't be upgrading any time soon.

I've been playing with them at work and it's really disjointed the start screen is cack with a mouse and the desktop mode is cack with your fingers- it doesn't know what it wants to be!

Sharodan4631d ago

I've taken the stance that I'll be waiting at least a couple of months to see what comes of Windows 8. If what you say is true about the new UI being bad for mouse control, I might hold off longer.

guitar_nerd_234631d ago

Like don't get me wrong it can be done but it's just not what it was designed for and it shows.

The best thing I have to say about it is that it might lead to a lot of interesting 3rd party window managers and app launchers. KDE or good ol' reliable but simple Gnome for windows could be cool.

Snookies124631d ago

Agreed, I'm staying with Windows 7.

caseh4630d ago

Just hold off until it gets its first SP. thats the way a lot of companies I have contracted for tend to do things.

Let everyone else figure out what the known issues are then review it once the first SP is released. :)

mcstorm4630d ago

What people seem to be missing about windows 8 is that the mouse and Keyoard on new devices have built in geusters to be used with the windows 8 new UI so this makes it very simple to use and I have now been using the new OS on my 3 year old laptop for work for a few months now from Preview to final release and I am yet to find any software that dose not work and I now find windows 8 better to use than windows 7.

You pin what you use the most to the start screen and the rest you just type in the search like you did in the search on Windows 7.

Also right clicking on the bottom left had corner gives you lots of options and settings to use that were in Windows 7.

Windows 8 is not for everyone just like Windows 7 was not but I am defo not looking back as my laptop is faster to use, the OS is faster to get around and open things than 7 (once you pickup how it works) Plus I don't have any issues with games, Devices or software that I have used on my pc for years.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4630d ago
acidbrn4631d ago

At only $39, I went ahead and purchased a copy. Better buy cheap now than have to pay out the ass later. From what I have seen and messed around with it does take some getting used to, but overall I think it works fairly well once you have become accustomed to how it operates. Whether or not that equates to a good experience daily, I suppose I'll find out soon enough.

TheKayle4630d ago

ppl been always scared and will be always scared of new OS...so i dont care windows 8 share windows 7 kernel that is one of the most strong on the market so will be a good os

Knight_Crawler4630d ago (Edited 4630d ago )

This is part of human nature...the person who wrote this article is probably in his late 20's.

I am 29 and I remember be angry about cell phones going touch screen and video games going CD instead of catridge becasue CD get scrtached so easy.

W8 will be the standard for the younger generation as windows 95 was a the standard for my generation...this is where we can be like our parents and grand parents and keep talking about how the old days are missed and everything was much simpler or we can adapt and move on with technology who waits for no man.

The good news is that you do not have to upgrade ever and 10 years from now you can still use your W7 if you want to - MS is moving forward and they will not go back to the W7 style.

dragunrising4630d ago (Edited 4630d ago )

Well said. Im 27 but have been pretty adaptible to changes in technology. I welcomed touch screen phones- my first was the Verizon BlackBerry Storm. The touch tech was half backed but I loved it until the OG Droid came out. The phone had a slide out keyboard yet I hardly used it!

I for one haven't ever cared for cartridges. In fact I prefer digital distribution to physical media.

As to Windows 8, its been a joy to use. I suppose I wanted to offer a counterpoint to the idea that older people complain when new "stuff" comes out :-)I would add that most people are generally resistant to change regardless of age.

TheKayle4630d ago

yeah i know what u mean :) im 35 and i did from ms dos to ibm os2 from windows 3.0 to windows 7 (all the versions) ...and yes is just a generation things....anyway...w8 will run games as w7 do ppl need to understand just this

SeanDKnight4630d ago

I've never thought my age has had anything to do with my opinion. :)

I have always been open to change so long as I think it is good. I was happy when cell phones went to touch screen. I was ecstatic when expensive cartridges were dropped in favor of CDs (which allowed games to be cheaper). I was, and still am, a supporter of Kinect although I believe that Microsoft dropped the ball on that.

I understand what Microsoft is trying to accomplish. However I'm just not going to jump for joy. Not when it appears that they are preparing to close things off. But that is why I am taking a wait and see approach at this time.

But you make some interesting points yet, for all we know, W8 could turn out to be the next Vista.

:)

Zichu4630d ago

If I were to get this, I would probably dual boot it. I wouldn't give up W7 until I am truly ready for it. Either that, or I just get a W8 tablet or something.

I would like to try it, but I don't want to move away from W7, I really like W7 at the moment.

thequadskater4625d ago

Stop being so young Sean. It makes your opinion stupid. I joke.

240°

‘I think Xbox hardware is dead’, says Microsoft gaming veteran

One of the founding members of the Xbox team has questioned Microsoft’s multiplatform gaming strategy, and said they believe the Xbox hardware business is effectively “dead"

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videogameschronicle.com
1d 4h ago Replies(3)
Goodguy011d 3h ago

Think that rumor that they'll still make a new console but at a profit at $1000 will be true though. The series consoles will remain their cheap alternative throughout next gen I would say. Keep in mind that game pass and pretty much going 3rd party is their main focus. They want to bring xbox everywhere.

1d 3h ago
GamerRN6h ago

If they don't maintain some kind of console presence, I think they will lose gamepass subscribers and just become a 3rd party publisher who eventually sells everything off

Cacabunga5h ago

Xbox games are releasing on all platforms. Who needs this hardware? PS or PC is all you need

Flewid6384h ago

I've never owned an Xbox in my life and I have GamePass.

thorstein3h ago

The only Xbox I owned was the 360. I have gamepass for my PC.

crazyCoconuts4h ago

Even if they could get it down to $800 for a box that can run with comparable performance to a PS6 (at, say $200 cheaper) the population of people willing to buy such a thing would be so limited.
It would be the worst of both worlds.

1d ago
Futureshark15h ago

A slow, painful and public death too.

Show all comments (61)
300°

Looming Xbox layoffs threaten Microsoft's reputation

Even as the company sets out to overhaul the very definition of Xbox, cuts at its studios risk creating a negative image reminiscent of EA's worst era

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gamesindustry.biz
Jingsing3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

I appreciate the article but this guy must be living in a delayed universe, The reputation was ruined 10+ years ago and hasn't recovered since. As such people have voted with their wallets and stopped buying Xbox products in large amounts.

YourMommySpoils2d ago

Their reputation was lost way before that. From the moment Microsoft said they entering the console business, we all knew it would be a downgrade.

Bathyj1d 11h ago (Edited 1d 11h ago )

That's not true at all the OG Xbox had drive and they had hunger and they wanted to accomplish something. It was a great console.

they didn't quite reach their goals and they gave up prematurely because they couldn't win. It was halfway through the Xbox 360 when kinect released and that was when they lost their way and we're a rudderless ship ever since

Agent751d 9h ago

In all fairness, Xbox had some great games with online play, Xbox 360 even better. Xbox consoles started to die with the Xbox One. Ditch consoles for the PC and PS.

YourMommySpoils1d 1h ago

@Bathyj hard to compute ay. Xbox was never better than a PC and that's all they ever were. A demo box. Doesn't get more true than that.

3d ago Replies(1)
isarai3d ago

What reputation is this threatening exactly? 😂

Lightning773d ago

Rumors of Turn 10 being either shut down or hit with massive lay offs is on the horizon.

The issue is MS will do something right only to do something very, very wrong. And they do this what seems calculative at this point. Doesn't matter what they do the Investors and leadership want more and more money an endless bottomless pit of purr insatiable greed. A company that acts like it's broke or hurting is what really, really infuriates me. They've surpassed apple again well over 3 trillion who acts like they're a million dollar company is fk stupid. Pivots and changes for no reason and can't do things for more than a year with out a pivot or changing their metrics.

Christopher2d ago

That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest.

1Victor2d ago

@christopher: “ That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest”
The key word big can be ether good or bad 🤷🏿only time can tell

DarXyde2d ago

First Forza being generated entirely via AI?

If any company would do it, it'd be them.

Nacho_Z1d 16h ago

Isn't the point that it's irrelevant how profitable MS is, the suits have decided it's time that the Xbox division started making them money. Hence the layoffs, the pivots.

hennessey861d 12h ago

That wouldn't surprise me, as motorsport has been heading down hill since the great number 4. Where as playground have consistently put out better games. I think the two studios will be merged under playground games banner.

2d ago Replies(2)
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660°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

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theverge.com
6d ago Replies(1)
6d ago Replies(1)
Obscure_Observer6d ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

6d ago
pwnmaster30006d ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

6d ago
Obscure_Observer6d ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

blacktiger6d ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster30006d ago (Edited 6d ago )

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole6d ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 6d ago
Tacoboto6d ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing696d ago (Edited 6d ago )

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif6d ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing696d ago (Edited 6d ago )

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif6d ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

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-Foxtrot6d ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast6d ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts6d ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto6d ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 6d ago
Profchaos6d ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

Angyobangyo5d ago

" Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares. "

Just for the record, you clearly you do if you have to vent this hard.

TheExecutioner5d ago

Basically you think like kids when it come to choose between candy or chocolate.

Sonic18815d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Are you and Anast the same person?

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 5d ago
6d ago
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