Nextbox rumors..

Also, I don't think the kerfuffle over the always-on rumor will matter at all for ultimate Nextbox sales.

However, in the rare chance that Microsoft has gone crazy and "the Xbox will die in the middle of a game if it's not connected" turns out to be true, that actually will cost them a few sales.

It's one thing to buy an always-on game. If it fails you can play any of your other games. An always-on console is another matter entirely. And after Diablo III and SimCity, the hardcore gamers who buy consoles on launch might be gunshy.

All I can figure is that the idea of being forced to buy a PS4 must be so revolting that even the mere rumor that the new Microsoft console might not be awesome is causing some to melt down.

Jayhawker wrote:

All I can figure is that the idea of being forced to buy a PS4 must be so revolting that even the mere rumor that the new Microsoft console might not be awesome is causing some to melt down.

My guess is that people are reacting so strongly because for them an Xbox purchase was guaranteed but this rocks their faith a bit.

For me it's about initial investment and mindshare.

I own a 360/PS3 combo, but the PS3 didn't arrive until the Slim model launched around mid-cycle. Based on my PC-centric gaming habits, that was a choice that worked well for me and Sony's console served as an excellent secondary exclusives machine.

I gather I'll do the same this go around, so I just want to make sure I bet on the right horse out of the gate. I'm married and not able to invest in new hardware cycles whole-hog like in the past, so I have to choose wisely.

If the connection is lost mid-game, the Nextbox immediately RRoDs.

LiquidMantis wrote:

Major Nelson posted this to his blog:

I wanted to give you the official Microsoft Statement regarding some comments you may have seen yesterday::
...
As frequent readers of my blog know, the moment we have news about our products I will be sharing all the details I can.

Doing a fine job of not quashing the rumours and reassuring potential customers.

Yeah, it was typical vague and non-committal PR speak.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
Jayhawker wrote:

All I can figure is that the idea of being forced to buy a PS4 must be so revolting that even the mere rumor that the new Microsoft console might not be awesome is causing some to melt down.

My guess is that people are reacting so strongly because for them an Xbox purchase was guaranteed but this rocks their faith a bit.

There was certainly a lot of gnashing of teeth over "$600" last generation.

Is it confirmed that the PS4 won't have always on DRM? Seems like MSFT would have cover if Sony's box turns out to be the same.

Aaron D. wrote:

For me it's about initial investment and mindshare.

I agree, but I think people are underestimating how much mindshare they can build from now until launch. If they have a package that stands out more with better games, better features or better price then they have every chance to gain more mindshare. It's a fickle thing, mindshare, and as quickly as it started to favour Sony it could reverse again, we simply won't know until all the cards are on the table.

This almost tangiable negative aura that surrounds the "720" is largely unfounded because we don't really know anything about the system. Because we don't know anything, what we do know can be re-written very quickly and with that our perception of it as well.

kyrieee wrote:

Because we don't know anything, what we do know can be re-written very quickly and with that our perception of it.

Drink the sand!

Edgar_Newt wrote:

Is it confirmed that the PS4 won't have always on DRM? Seems like MSFT would have cover if Sony's box turns out to be the same.

In that case, build a PC? I hear Steam has cookies!

shoptroll wrote:

Drink the sand!

I have no idea what that means haha

LiquidMantis wrote:

Major Nelson posted this to his blog:

I wanted to give you the official Microsoft Statement regarding some comments you may have seen yesterday::

"We apologize for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers. We are very sorry if this offended anyone, however we have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter."

As frequent readers of my blog know, the moment we have news about our products I will be sharing all the details I can.

Peter Moore wrote:

"Things break."

Seems pretty much in line with MS's attitude toward its customers to me.

Edgar_Newt wrote:

Is it confirmed that the PS4 won't have always on DRM? Seems like MSFT would have cover if Sony's box turns out to be the same.

It's not confirmed, but it's also not really rumored. The PS4 nasty rumor was the no-used-games patent, but Sony has said that will not happen with the PS4.

kyrieee wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

Drink the sand!

I have no idea what that means haha

The America People want leadership. And in the absence of genuine leadership, they will listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They're so thirsty for it, they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand

It's a monologue from The American President, which seems relatively appropriate given the number of rumors about the console and Microsoft's silence about it. Basically claiming that in the absence of any concrete statement people will believe anything they read.

kyrieee wrote:

If they have a package that stands out more with better games, better features or better price then they have every chance to gain more mindshare.

You are 100% correct.

If MS launches out of the gate with games and services that simply demand our attention and we have to have, then niggles about DRM will fly right out the window.

I'd love to be all proud and make a stand over anti-consumer practices...but 'dem games, man! If MS brings it, I'm there. It’s just the way it is. Like Metallica says, "You know it's sad but true."

Conversely, Sony can do just the same. All that's happening right now is a leveling of the playing field. Six months ago I was 99% MS 720 first, Sony PS4 some years down the road. Since then things have swung back towards the center, thanks to a lot of Sony goodwill recently and a lot of MS ill-will at the same time.

Let Sony and MS duke it out at E3. I'm ready and willing to be sold either way.

SixteenBlue wrote:
Edgar_Newt wrote:

Is it confirmed that the PS4 won't have always on DRM? Seems like MSFT would have cover if Sony's box turns out to be the same.

It's not confirmed, but it's also not really rumored. The PS4 nasty rumor was the no-used-games patent, but Sony has said that will not happen with the PS4.

I think there's still some concern from the games press that there might be some doublespeak in what Sony said on those matters. People are still in a "wait and see at E3" mode on both topics.

SixteenBlue wrote:
Edgar_Newt wrote:

Is it confirmed that the PS4 won't have always on DRM? Seems like MSFT would have cover if Sony's box turns out to be the same.

It's not confirmed, but it's also not really rumored. The PS4 nasty rumor was the no-used-games patent, but Sony has said that will not happen with the PS4.

Out of pure uninformed curiosity, if both Sony and Microsoft were to do this, would there be any risk of a collusion suit of any sort from the federal government? It would appear to be a business decision made in concert by two large companies to reduce the competition between them and negatively impact consumers. As lots of retailers have a stake in actually selling used games, I'd have to think there'd be some lobbyist dollars flowing somewhere here.

LiquidMantis wrote:

Major Nelson posted this to his blog:

I wanted to give you the official Microsoft Statement regarding some comments you may have seen yesterday::

"We apologize for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers. We are very sorry if this offended anyone, however we have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter."

As frequent readers of my blog know, the moment we have news about our products I will be sharing all the details I can.

I read this as "The messenger was dismissive and annoying, but the message isn't wrong".

kyrieee wrote:
Aaron D. wrote:

I agree with you in part in that it's a sensible reaction to wait until they are ready to reveal. But MS could quickly lose control of the messaging, like they are right now, and breed a lot of ill will and uncertainty about their product before it’s even announced. All the while Sony is saying all the right things to those who are listening.

I think people are grossly overestimating the impact a few rage threads and associated news stories will have. In general people don't get angry enough to have an effect on anything unless something is directly affecting them. We're bad at being angry enough about something before it happens. When people actually are angry enough for it to matter you see a much bigger reaction than this, you see something that dominates the conversation for weeks and weeks.

The way Microsoft deals with this is by marketing people their console on their own terms. Regardless if it's always online or not they will have some combination of things that they think will make you want to buy the system and that's what they'll let everyone know about. That marketing message will be so much louder than the current complaining. It could be $200 with games you feel you just have to play, we don't know! Now it's possible that people will get louder, we'll see, but I don't think an always online requirement will come to bite them until it fails massively at launch, because that's when it affects people so that's when they'll start to care.

But still people are raging about a RUMOR.. on a BLOG. If Microsoft was forced to address every rumor with revealing actual information (which guess what MIGHT ACTUALLY BE IN FLUX!!!) they would spend all day then backtracking when things did change. Its a no win solution.. OTHER than simply doing what they have (as all major companies do) which is to not address rumors.

I'm sorry guys but this is the way real businesses work.. This isnt something Microsoft should address in any way other than what they have been doing so far.

TheGameguru wrote:
kyrieee wrote:
Aaron D. wrote:

I agree with you in part in that it's a sensible reaction to wait until they are ready to reveal. But MS could quickly lose control of the messaging, like they are right now, and breed a lot of ill will and uncertainty about their product before it’s even announced. All the while Sony is saying all the right things to those who are listening.

I think people are grossly overestimating the impact a few rage threads and associated news stories will have. In general people don't get angry enough to have an effect on anything unless something is directly affecting them. We're bad at being angry enough about something before it happens. When people actually are angry enough for it to matter you see a much bigger reaction than this, you see something that dominates the conversation for weeks and weeks.

The way Microsoft deals with this is by marketing people their console on their own terms. Regardless if it's always online or not they will have some combination of things that they think will make you want to buy the system and that's what they'll let everyone know about. That marketing message will be so much louder than the current complaining. It could be $200 with games you feel you just have to play, we don't know! Now it's possible that people will get louder, we'll see, but I don't think an always online requirement will come to bite them until it fails massively at launch, because that's when it affects people so that's when they'll start to care.

But still people are raging about a RUMOR.. on a BLOG. If Microsoft was forced to address every rumor with revealing actual information (which guess what MIGHT ACTUALLY BE IN FLUX!!!) they would spend all day then backtracking when things did change. Its a no win solution.. OTHER than simply doing what they have (as all major companies do) which is to not address rumors.

I'm sorry guys but this is the way real businesses work.. This isnt something Microsoft should address in any way other than what they have been doing so far.

Being an asshole on Twitter?

Being an asshole on Twitter?

Last I checked one guy isnt representative of an entire company.. come one no one here really believes that. I have some really close friends at MS that are awesome and talented people. Gates himself has to be one of the most amazing guys on the planet.. I've heard nothing but solid things about him that impress me. Not to mention all the charitable work he has done.

But I will assume you are joking.. and move on. But yeah.. that guy is pretty much clueless... but he is one guy.

Locking this thread up until we get more actual concrete details on something.

TheGameguru wrote:
Being an asshole on Twitter?

Last I checked one guy isnt representative of an entire company.. come one no one here really believes that. I have some really close friends at MS that are awesome and talented people. Gates himself has to be one of the most amazing guys on the planet.. I've heard nothing but solid things about him that impress me. Not to mention all the charitable work he has done.

But I will assume you are joking.. and move on. But yeah.. that guy is pretty much clueless... but he is one guy.

I was joking but I was also making a serious point. You know as well as I do that people as high up as he is are absolutely representatives of the company. It's part of the job. It would be one thing if we were talking about his personal life and somehow pointing that back at MS but he's directly talking about MS and their customers in a public forum.

Not sure where you're going with the Bill Gates/I have friends at MS thing. Is anyone saying MS is full of nothing but this guy?