Gaming Xbox One | No PS4 comparisons

[Alock1]

Microsoft has confirmed Xbox One can play audio CDs, but not mp3 locally from usb devices.

Supports DNLA but restricted to PlayTo

 

[Alock1]

Microsoft Wants Its Own Game of Thrones
Xbox Entertainment's Nancy Tellem has the ambition to make a grand-scale series.

On Wednesday, Nancy Tellem, Microsoft's newly appointed president of entertainment and digital media, said that she hopes to make a Game of Thrones-like series for Xbox Entertainment Studios.

"I have the ambition" to make a show as dynamic as Game of Thrones, said Tellem at The Wrap's Power Women Breakfast in Beverly Hills. "That, to me, was [the] greatest testament to how wonderful television can be and how engrossed people are and committed -- and it was a social experience."

She then added with a smile that Microsoft's budget was "enough for me to do my job, let's just say."

Creatively too, through the Xbox platform, Microsoft has the ability to create content free from traditional 22 and 44-minute time constraints, which allows Tellem's team to "focus on the content itself" so that viewers can "share that experience."

Already, Microsoft has several media projects in the works at Xbox Entertainment, including Steven Spielberg's Halo series and the company's first unscripted series called Every Street Reunited.

Currently, these shows are expected to begin rolling out in the spring. What's still in consideration, however, is whether Microsoft will release episodes one at a time or all at once like Netflix.

--
Whether they can reach such standards remains to be seen of course, but a big budget is good news for aiming to do something like this. I doubt it'll be as good, but it's positive nevertheless - the Halo mini-series was actually pretty decent I thought.

 

[Redlambs]

I never got around to watching the Halo mini-series, do you recommend it then?

 

[Alock1]

I really enjoyed it, it was cheesy but good fun - each episode is only like 20 minutes each, so it's basically just a 3 hour movie.

It's not special in any department, and the writing and dialogue aren't very sophisticated but it's an easy, short watch - I'd probably give it a 7/10.

 

[Hal9000]

Are M$ hoping this TV show will convince people to shell out £420 quid? or they available through websites as well?

 

[Alock1]

Are M$ hoping this TV show will convince people to shell out £420 quid? or they available through websites as well?

I think theyll be on Xbox only maybe other Windows devices.

of course theyll get on torrent and steaming sites.

 

[afrocentricity]

What's the point? am I missing something?

 

[Alock1]

What's the point? am I missing something?

Both Sony and Microsoft are producing original TV/Film content for Xbox One/PS4.

 

[afrocentricity]

Yea... but whats the gain? What are they hoping for?

Sent using Tapatalk

 

[rcoobc]

Do any of you watch arrow? About twice an episode they pointlessly turn on a windows 8 computer.

 

[Alock1]

Yea... but whats the gain? What are they hoping for?

Sent using Tapatalk

I don't know, it'll be behind Xbox Live paywall I imagine so an extra reason. Could become part of Xbox Music (would become Xbox Entertainment) or something down the line and be an added subscription.

We'll see.

 

[KingEric7]

Can't really understand how something like this would be financially viable if it were restricted only to Xbox Live - the budget for a show like Game of Thrones is astronomical. It'd surely be available across a wider range of platforms.

*This TV series should blatantly be Mass Effect, by the way. A Spielberg Halo TV series could be great if it was done in something like the style of Band of Brothers (with the camera work and the drawn out war scenes), but Mass Effect is the way to go if they're hoping to aim for something of the standard of Game of Thrones.

 

[Alock1]

Can't really understand how something like this would be financially viable if it were restricted only to Xbox Live - the budget for a show like Game of Thrones is astronomical. It'd surely be available across a wider range of platforms.

*This TV series should blatantly be Mass Effect, by the way. A Spielberg Halo TV series could be great if it was done in something like the style of Band of Brothers (with the camera work and the drawn out war scenes), but Mass Effect is the way to go if they're hoping to aim for something of the standard of Game of Thrones.

If they go for the long term, then proving themselves without charging extra is the way to go. People are willing to subscribe to HBO because people have faith in what they will produce.

Quantum Break is going to be really interesting. The game is going to somehow interact with the TV show through choices and shit - I'm not sure how it's going to work, seems a little ambitious. Maybe they'll just shoot multiple episodes and give the player a choice in the game. Still, a sci-fi story where time can be manipulated is definitely interesting.

 

[KingEric7]

If they go for the long term, then proving themselves without charging extra is the way to go. People are willing to subscribe to HBO because people have faith in what they will produce.

Quantum Break is going to be really interesting. The game is going to somehow interact with the TV show through choices and shit - I'm not sure how it's going to work, seems a little ambitious. Maybe they'll just shoot multiple episodes and give the player a choice in the game. Still, a sci-fi story where time can be manipulated is definitely interesting.

I get this, but I'm somewhat skeptical as to whether, short or long term, they could ever really justify spending the sort of money this could involve, which could literally be in the billions if they commit to even just a dozen or so high budget shows. It would take an enormous effort and outlay on Microsoft's part to build a service to that extent, but this is surely what would have to be done in order to make it a significant factor in favour of the console (as opposed to some sort of add-on). A huge percentage of people that will get Xbox Live anyway if they get an Xbox One, so they've really got to build a service that is good enough to actually get people to buy the console itself.

Still, if Sony and Microsoft are going down this route, then they must see something I don't. Halo's budget is supposedly comparable to Game of Thrones', so they must have some confidence that the outlay of this approach will be justified in the end.

 

[Alock1]

I get this, but I'm somewhat skeptical as to whether, short or long term, they could ever really justify spending the sort of money this could involve, which could literally be in the billions if they commit to even just a dozen or so high budget shows. It would take an enormous effort and outlay on Microsoft's part to build a service to that extent, but this is surely what would have to be done in order to make it a significant factor in favour of the console (as opposed to some sort of add-on). A huge percentage of people that will get Xbox Live anyway if they get an Xbox One, so they've really got to build a service that is good enough to actually get people to buy the console itself.

Still, if Sony and Microsoft are going down this route, then they must see something I don't. Halo's budget is supposedly comparable to Game of Thrones', so they must have some confidence that the outlay of this approach will be justified in the end.

Yep, I agree completely. The thing is, the market is going this way - online TV, streaming content, content on demand - it's the future of television. I barely watch any live TV myself, almost all on netflix/love/demand services or acquired through other means.

Original content has been very successful so far for Netflix, for drawing people to the service and getting them to try it out and shell out for a subscription - the problem is, it has a huge back-catalogue to support the original content with. Xbox doesn't, that would be my concern.

Maybe the content will cost to stream/rent/own and won't be included in any sort of subscription model, with the first episode or so given away free. On Tuesday night the new Ryse TV series starts I believe, will be interesting to check that out - though it isn't one I expect much from. 6/10 is my prediction.

 

[KingEric7]

Yep, I agree completely. The thing is, the market is going this way - online TV, streaming content, content on demand - it's the future of television. I barely watch any live TV myself, almost all on netflix/love/demand services or acquired through other means.

Original content has been very successful so far for Netflix, for drawing people to the service and getting them to try it out and shell out for a subscription - the problem is, it has a huge back-catalogue to support the original content with. Xbox doesn't, that would be my concern.

Maybe the content will cost to stream/rent/own and won't be included in any sort of subscription model, with the first episode or so given away free. On Tuesday night the new Ryse TV series starts I believe, will be interesting to check that out - though it isn't one I expect much from. 6/10 is my prediction.

This is what's making it difficult for me to envisage Microsoft gaining here. There are 1000s of shows on Netflix, and HBO is a hugely established and reputable channel that has hosted many of the very best shows ever made. These are awesome things to subscribe to, where as, if Microsoft start charging extra fees for individual shows, they'll just drive people towards torrents and streams. That's actually the first thing I thought when I read that article, to be honest; "cool, I'm gonna download that". The thought of buying an Xbox One or paying some sort of extra fee never entered my head, and there'll be millions of people out there thinking the same if we're talking about what is likely to a relatively limited amount of content. Another problem for them is the absolute bollocks they've made of their release in terms of PR, which means they'll have already pushed a large percentage of people over towards the PS4. A lot of people have people already made their decision because of the huge dent they've made in their reputation before the thing's even been released.

I do want them to make some great shows, mind you! The more Game of Thrones type shows the better. I wish them well and it'd be a great thing if they succeeded.

 

[Alock1]

Forza 5 vs Forza 4 graphics comparison.

Neither does the game proper justice, but especially the Forza 5 one as it's taken straight from youtube.

 

[Alock1]

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/11/05/unity-will-be-free-for-indie-developers-on-xbox-one

Unity Will Be Free For Indie Developers on Xbox One
Another reason for indie developers to publish on the Xbox One.

In an effort to provide more avenues for independent developers on its new console, Microsoft announced that the Unity add-on will be free for any registered indie developers in the Independent Developers @Xbox program.

The add-on, releasing in 2014 for the Xbox One, will allow registered developers to use the Unity game engine to publish titles on the new console, as well as Windows 8 and Windows 8 devices. Microsoft says this will level the playing field for developers, regardless of their size or location.

Xbox One-only Unity Pro licenses will also be offered to qualified developers. Microsoft has already promised to be on the lookout for promising titles that deserve marketing and promotion, but offering Unity free to any developer willing to register is another step in the effort to bring original content to next-gen platforms.

"Microsoft continues to show their commitment to creating opportunity for developers of all shapes and sizes, a commitment shared by Unity," Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason said. "The drive behind the ID@Xbox program is exciting for Unity and the games development community in general. We can’t wait to see the results.”

The ID@Xbox program, announced at Gamescom this year, aims to make development and publishing friendlier than they were on Xbox 360, and as appealing as they are on the PlayStation 4 and Wii U; with more and more developers using the Unity engine, this new approach could open up myriad avenues for creative developers.

So, every Xbox One can be used as a dev kit and now Unity is being offered free for qualifying indie developers. I hope they continue to commit to Indies, great progress so far.

 

[Alock1]

Can't really understand how something like this would be financially viable if it were restricted only to Xbox Live - the budget for a show like Game of Thrones is astronomical. It'd surely be available across a wider range of platforms.

*This TV series should blatantly be Mass Effect, by the way. A Spielberg Halo TV series could be great if it was done in something like the style of Band of Brothers (with the camera work and the drawn out war scenes), but Mass Effect is the way to go if they're hoping to aim for something of the standard of Game of Thrones.

The first episode of Ryse is out and it's free through youtube - they went this way with the Halo Web Series too - strange.


Only 4 minutes long.. I hope they aren't all this short.

EDIT: Very promising start, even if it is incredibly hard to judge from 3 minutes worth.

 

[Redlambs]

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/11/05/unity-will-be-free-for-indie-developers-on-xbox-one



So, every Xbox One can be used as a dev kit and now Unity is being offered free for qualifying indie developers. I hope they continue to commit to Indies, great progress so far.

Yep, this is the sort of excellent stuff they are doing.

 

[Alock1]

Oh and Project Spark, which is basically the same as Unity anyway will be free for all.

I kid.

 

[One Night Only]

Is that the main char at the end of the video? :/ Looks like some awful casting right there

Didn't look bad apart from that really.

 

[Alock1]

Is that the main char at the end of the video? :/ Looks like some awful casting right there

Didn't look bad apart from that really.

Based on his looks? lol.

I think we need to see more before we make a judgement on that - but yeah, I guess he could perhaps be bigger and not look so boyish.

 

[Redlambs]

Oh and Project Spark, which is basically the same as Unity anyway will be free for all.

I kid.

Lucky you got that white text in there!

Now stop messing around here and head back to the final fantasy thread and agree with me that 4 vs 6 is the REAL interesting discussion

 

[One Night Only]

Based on his looks? lol.

I think we need to see more before we make a judgement on that - but yeah, I guess he could perhaps be bigger and not look so boyish.

Yes, based on his looks/character looks. It's how a lot of characters are defined. Extreme, but imagine Jonah Hill or someone like that playing the guy from AC

Looks like a crack addict I was thinking of a more muscular rugged guy, especially after seeing the Ryse gameplay bloke.

 

[Alock1]

Yes, based on his looks/character looks. It's how a lot of characters are defined. Extreme, but imagine Jonah Hill or someone like that playing the guy from AC

Looks like a crack addict I was thinking of a more muscular rugged guy, especially after seeing the Ryse gameplay bloke.

There's a character from a movie/tv series that the guy reminds me of. At first I thought Bovver from Green Street, but it's not.

I definitely understand what you're getting at, but hopefully it won't take away from the series. Maybe it was a conscious decision to not just make him seem like complete brawn - though it's strange that they haven't gone for that when considering the character model in the game.

I thought it was promising anyway, it doesn't seem cheesy, which was my main concern.

 

[One Night Only]

There's a character from a movie/tv series that the guy reminds me of. At first I thought Bovver from Green Street, but it's not.

I definitely understand what you're getting at, but hopefully it won't take away from the series. Maybe it was a conscious decision to not just make him seem like complete brawn - though it's strange that they haven't gone for that when considering the character model in the game.

I thought it was promising anyway, it doesn't seem cheesy, which was my main concern.

I am thinking they might "bulk" him up throughout it, as that first part is obviously the start of it all... I'll keep an eye on it tbh.

 

[Alock1]

 

[KingEric7]

The first episode of Ryse is out and it's free through youtube - they went this way with the Halo Web Series too - strange.


Only 4 minutes long.. I hope they aren't all this short.

EDIT: Very promising start, even if it is incredibly hard to judge from 3 minutes worth.

Shit, sorry forgot to respond to this. I'll wait until they're all out and watch it through - 3 minute episode will do my head in. Hope it's good!

 

[Alock1]

Shit, sorry forgot to respond to this. I'll wait until they're all out and watch it through - 3 minute episode will do my head in. Hope it's good!

I was just quoting you to let you know the direction they've gone in (youtube) btw - not to try and force you to watch it .

That's completely understandable. Although don't think of it as a 3 minute episode, it could easily have been a trailer. It's basically a prologue, introducing you to the story with some history, back drop and setting. If you go to the toilet and have your phone with you, capable of watching youtube, it's definitely a good 3 minutes to get you interested without making you feel like it was completely unnecessary.

Think the first 5 minutes of Lord of the Rings movies, where they show the ring being forced and the battles that surrounded it.

 

[KingEric7]

Right, I see. Will leave it unfortunately (just one of those silly things - incompletion is really annoying to me!) but I'll definitely look out for it when it's done. I say that up there about me being sceptical but I don't care - I really want Microsoft to go through with stuff like this! Watching Game of Thrones has made me start thinking about stories in other mediums and how good they could be as a series.

 

[Alock1]

 

[Alock1]

Right, I see. Will leave it unfortunately (just one of those silly things - incompletion is really annoying to me!) but I'll definitely look out for it when it's done. I say that up there about me being sceptical but I don't care - I really want Microsoft to go through with stuff like this! Watching Game of Thrones has made me start thinking about stories in other mediums and how good they could be as a series.

That's fair - and I don't blame you.

Well, if they're willing to put the budget in, they can make some really cool stuff. They don't have to worry about the networks holding them back, limiting them on what they can produce, time frames they have to hit, episode numbers etc.etc.

So far, this looks to look pretty high budget and definitely has an epic feel to it - I just hope the writing is of good quality because the rest seems to be.

 

[Alock1]

Haven't watched the whole thing as it's the first 25 minutes of gameplay, so I just watched a few little clips and didn't go over half way. The game looks really good, but judging on my past experiences of Dead Rising - they're good games, lots of fun, but the fun tires out.

I just can't justify spending £40+ on it, but I'll see what the reviews are like.

 

[afrocentricity]

I think I completed the first, not sure what happened re the second... maybe got bored like you say. 1st was good fun though...

 

[Alock1]

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/11/06/how-long-does-it-take-to-redeem-a-code-on-xbox-one

 

[Alock1]

Killer Instinct

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/11/06/killer-instinct-preview

Spoiler

Few next-gen launch games have as much to prove as Killer Instinct does. Much has been made of its free-to-play business model, its modestly-sized cast, and even the track record of its developer, Double Helix. But none of that matters anymore once you play it. It feels so good right off the bat, and gets you matching wits with your opponent so quickly that there’s no time to think about anything else.

As many quarters as I lost to it, the original KI didn’t have much going on besides its combo system, which was unique in a time where combos didn’t get much higher than three or four hits. But not only are 100-hit combos no longer novel, they turn players into spectators for inordinate amounts of time. Killer Instinct sidesteps this problem brilliantly by making mind-games and fast reactions just as important during combos as they are leading up to them.

It all starts with the tried and true combo breaker, which requires the defender to match their inputs to the strength of their attacker’s move to interrupt their combo. Using the wrong breaker now results in a lock-out, temporarily preventing any further break attempts and giving the attacker time to go nuts.

Even better, the new counter-breaker allows the attacker to preempt a predictable combo breaker attempt, locking their victim out for even longer, and extending the maximum duration of their combo. Where combos used to be nothing but execution clinics, in Killer Instinct they become another instance in which baits, reads, and mind-games dictate the many possible outcomes. Your brain has to be on at all times, and whether you’re hitting or being hit, you can be punished or rewarded for your second-to-second decisions.

And sure, six characters at launch with another two on the way is a bit light, but unlike a lot of fighters with casts that are 30 strong, every character in Killer Instinct feels distinct, developed, and immediately enjoyable to mess around with. Sabrewulf’s up-close mixup potential is brutal, Sadira’s air mobility is bonkers, and a good Glacius player smothers the screen, controlling real estate at will with far-reaching, risky normals. Right now, pretty much every match-up is interesting, and thanks to the mind games inherent to its systems, even mirror matches are a good time.

All the other nuances I’ve come to expect out of a great fighter are here as well. Meter management is very important, as shadow moves, shadow counters, and the new “Instinct” mode all have a myriad of offensive and defensive applications. Shadow counters let you to attack out of block stun with one hit of armor added, allowing you to punish moves that would normally be safe on block if your timing is on point. Activating Instinct mode returns your character to a neutral state, so you can make blocked attacks safe, or create combos that wouldn’t normally be possible. Each character’s Instinct mode grants them unique abilities as well, leading to some great setups for creative-minded players.

Yet, despite how far KI has come in becoming a legitimately deep 2D fighter, it remains fun at the entry level. Controls are responsive, basic combo construction is easy to grasp, and the spectacular looking backgrounds and special effects will certainly keep casual players entertained. And if they decide to get more serious, Dojo mode is the most exhaustive interactive fighting game tutorial ever made. Featuring 32 multi-part lessons, it covers everything from basic movement, to how to read frame and hit-box data – which amazingly, is provided in the training mode.

The more time I spend with Killer Instinct, the more I want to play it, and the less I care about any of the concerns orbiting it. What matters most in a fighting game is…you guessed it…the fighting, and so far Killer Instinct does that better than any of its predecessors.

Be sure to check back here at IGN for more as KI approaches its November 22nd release.

 

[Alock1]

KINECT

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/11/06/does-kinect-2-fix-the-originals-problems

Some cool stuff Ciderman90210. Talks about how on Zoo Tycoon you can play with the animals through it, or have them follow you etc. They say they're impressed with it technically, but they still don't see a killer app out there to make them really understand the need to pay an extra 100$ for it. Which is completely fair, although it's day 1 so that's not completely surprising.

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/11/06/d4-is-xbox-ones-weirdest-game-and-thats-awesome

They are really excited about D4 though - a game which hugely features Kinect. Although it's not the same people who do the Kinect video as the D4 video.

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/11/06/xbox-fitness-on-insanity-using-xbox-ones-kinect

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/11/06/xbox-ones-first-workout-game-zumba-fitness-world-party

 

[Alock1]

Dead Rising 3

Spoiler

After several months of so-so looking footage featuring muted colors and a flagging framerate, I had begun to lose hope on Dead Rising 3. But by the five-minute mark of my two-hour play session, most of my doubts had melted, giving way to smiles, a few laughs, and my very first glimmers of anticipation for Capcom’s open-world zombie slaughterfest.

First things first: how’s the performance? Dead Rising 3 features massive packs of zombies roaming the ruined streets of an open world that’s reportedly larger than that of the first two games combined. In earlier builds, it didn’t look like the game engine could handle the stress, but the latest round of optimizing has all but completely eliminated the issue. Capcom is targeting 1080P/30fps [IGN has reached out to Microsoft for re-confirmation on this point] and at this point Dead Rising 3 is hitting that 90% of the time. The other 10% usually involved craziness like igniting and flattening hundreds of zombies at once with a steamroller-equipped, fire-spewing motorcycle – and in those cases I didn’t mind so much because of THE STEAMROLLER-EQUIPPED, FIRE-SPEWING MOTORCYCLE!

The almost illegally fun rollerhawg is just one of around a dozen custom vehicles you can cobble together in Dead Rising 3. There’s a ton of ground to cover in Los Perdidos, so why not cover it in style and safety? Throw together a Junk Truck, fire ricocheting propane missiles into pockets of undead and watch zombie parts fill the air like fleshy confetti.

No wheels? No problem! The new super combo weapons can clear hordes of shambling brain-cravers with shocking efficiency. You build these suckers in stages by combining three or more weapons and the results do not disappoint. One of them had me swooping around with a dragon head on, spewing fire and cutting fools to ribbons with makeshift katana blade claws. If that sounds like too much fun though, you can always keep it low-key with computerized talking axes, or motorcycle engine-powered boxing gloves. Needless to say, you can put to rest any fears of Dead Rising 3 steering the franchise into darker, heavier waters.

The world and the crafting aren’t all that’ve expanded either. Our hero Nick Ramos can be leveled up and built out in far more different ways than his forebearers. In fact, there’s a few RPGs out there that have less customization than Dead RIsing 3 serves up. As you earn PP and level up you gain attribute points which can be spent on one of seven different stats or 22 different crafting categories. At certain milestones, new perks open up, further expanding your combat options. Of course, the sickest ones are locked away until level 50, but once you get there, you’ll become a nigh unstoppable zombie-slaying juggernaut.

Which is the perfect time to try out the new nightmare difficulty. Since so many players took issue with the restrictive time element of Dead Rising 2, DR3 relaxes things considerably, giving you double the time to work with, and the ability to save anywhere through the pause menu. Nightmare mode dials up the urgency with tighter time limits, tougher zombies, and a return to the limited “bathroom save” system of the first two games. It’s tough to tell how elegant of a solution this will wind up being from just a couple of hours or play time, but in theory, this could be a best of both worlds solution to one of the series’ most divisive issues.

Before, I was thinking of skipping Capcom Vancouver’s Xbox One launch title, but now I plan on making it a part of my launch on the 22nd. There’s obviously no way of knowing how it will pan out in the long run, but I saw more than enough positive in my time with it to wipe away the worries I once had.

 

[Alock1]

Ryse

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/11/06/ryse-son-of-romes-redemption

Forza

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/11/06/forza-motorsport-5s-next-gen-difference

Project Spark

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/11/06/make-your-own-game-with-project-spark

-One of the comments is brilliant; 'Dont mean to start a war, but cant you literally re-create Knack in this? Even the art styles are very similar.'