Xbox "Next" or "Infinity" reveal thread. Today is the big day!

ugh, MS is pulling a Sony. "And there’s one area in which Sony and Microsoft are in perfect harmony: Neither of their new machines are backward compatible with their current ones. That means your seven years’ worth of digital game purchases made over the Xbox Live Marketplace won’t function on the new machine. (Microsoft says your licenses for purchased movies, music and the like will transfer over.) "

One more reason to just go to steam.
 
So do we actually *know* anything for sure about how backward compatibility will or won't work for either?
 
So Microsoft has officially killed the used game and rental game business with this console. Even if you pay the fee, games can only be installed on 2 accounts, ever.
 
Domingo said:
So do we actually *know* anything for sure about how backward compatibility will or won't work for either?
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I don't think either's mentioned it, and I think since they're both migrating to x86 rather than PPC, the idea of hardware BC is shot.

I'm sure they'll re-sell us the same old games via DD for a high price though. :rolleyes:
 
BC wasn't really in the cards. It's not that important hardware-side I feel, just keep your old box. However, network/server-side, that is another question...
 
...sigh....the last thing I feel like doing is having 5 gaming systems (and a PC + a cable box) hooked up at the same time.
Looks like I'll just have to play through my current crop of games and be ready to shelve those systems and only break them out for special occasions.
 
Yantelope said:
Where did you see this?
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http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1039897389&postcount=152
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/407912/microsoft-confirms-pre-owned-fee-for-xbox-one/
Microsoft has confirmed that all Xbox One games will require mandatory installation onto the system's hard drive and, to install the same disc onto another user's drive, a fee must be paid.

Individual games will be tied to Xbox Live accounts, Microsoft said, meaning that the software giant can detect whether a game has been sold to a retailer and repurchased, or handed from one friend to another. In such instances, the second user must pay a fee.

"On the new Xbox, all game discs are installed to the HDD to play," a Microsoft representative told Wired.

The company added that, once discs are installed on the hard drive, games can be played without a disc being in the tray.

The Wired article then elaborates: "What follows naturally from this is that each disc would have to be tied to a unique Xbox Live account, else you could take a single disc and pass it between everyone you know and copy the game over and over. Since this is clearly not going to happen, each disc must then only install for a single owner."

It added: "Microsoft did say that if a disc was used with a second account, that owner would be given the option to pay a fee and install the game from the disc, which would then mean that the new account would also own the game and could play it without the disc."
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Technically they're not killing used games, as long as you don't mind paying the fee to install & play the game while you're renting it. :rolleyes: I'm sure that right there is going to be their churned out answer every time that question comes up, although that begs the question - ok, the 2nd user can do it. What about the 3rd? 4th? 20th? Does the price increase each time?
 
Domingo said:
...sigh....the last thing I feel like doing is having 5 gaming systems (and a PC + a cable box) hooked up at the same time.
Looks like I'll just have to play through my current crop of games and be ready to shelve those systems and only break them out for special occasions.
Click to expand...

This is why I'm really shifting to building a steam library and not a console library anymore. Well, that and the fact that steam games are so ridiculously cheap.
 
Yantelope said:
This is why I'm really shifting to building a steam library and not a console library anymore. Well, that and the fact that steam games are so ridiculously cheap.
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[raises hand]
My name is Nick, and I have a problem...:D
tumblr_inline_mfcdx3EXaA1rpqp43.jpg

I'm doing the same thing. Eventually, I'll play everything. ;)
 
zero2dash said:
Technically they're not killing used games, as long as you don't mind paying the fee to install & play the game while you're renting it. :rolleyes: I'm sure that right there is going to be their churned out answer every time that question comes up, although that begs the question - ok, the 2nd user can do it. What about the 3rd? 4th? 20th? Does the price increase each time?
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I wonder what tech they use to accomplish this if it's not a CD key included in the box like PC games.
 
The only way I'm going to buy this if there's a one time fee to upgrade your Live account for unlimited used games, at most $25. But I think they'll have $5 every time to unlock a used disc.
 
MrCrispy said:
It's simple online activation check. Each disc has a unique ID burnt which is like a cd key.
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Have they confirmed this?

I would assume it's cheaper and easier to stick an activation key in each new game package, and if you boot the game without entering the key (which I'm sure it'll ask or say "I don't have a key"), it asks if you need to activate, x dollars is the fee (which will probably be charged in MS Points).
I'm not too experienced on anti-duplication procedures of discs but I would assume that something like a burned-in key could be hacked or at least tampered with, and would probably require special hardware to burn and read.

Knowing Microsoft's infatuation with product keys on stickers or peel-off cards, I would assume history will once again repeat itself here as well and they'll put that on a little card in the package.
 
So basically with this used-game fee BS, and mandatory install, they're turning it into a PC where you essentially have to pay $50-60 for every game, every time.

No thanks.
 
MavericK96 said:
So basically with this used-game fee BS, and mandatory install, they're turning it into a PC where you essentially have to pay $50-60 for every game, every time.

No thanks.
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Don't forget "tied into a specific non-upgradable hardware configuration". ;)

Gaming PC's are no longer a mystical unobtainable beast for 90% of the population; it's ridiculous how cheap you can build a capable gaming PC for nowadays.
 
It's a pile of crap.

The PS4 is mildly intresting, but largely ignorable.

The WiiU, is the WiiU.

My prediction of staying away from next gen consoles, confirmed.
 
zero2dash said:
Technically they're not killing used games,
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How is a 2 account limit not killing it? You think people will tell Gamespot "Uh yeah, I only installed it on one account, it's legit to resell!". Same with rental or just letting friends borrow your games. You can let one friend borrow it, pay a fee, and basically own the game, but you can't let more than one.

They have killed used, rental and borrowing.

It would make it easier to share the cost of a game, though. You and a friend could buy a new game + split fee, then each install it.

This system is just getting people ready for the next Xbox in 2020, where it's 100% digital and there will be no sharing at all.
 
The IGN Live stream, which is doing a post-show thing, and they just gave an update on some stuff:

UbiSoft will have 6 games coming out in the first year, and at least one of them is a new IP. Assassin's Creed 4 is one of the titles.

Black Tusk Studios (formerly Microsoft Vancouver) will be showing off a game at E3.

The game Destiny is confirmed, via a post on their Facebook page.

Do not need to be connected to the internet to play your games (but we already heard that).

Battlefield 4 confirmed.

A few other things mentioned, but went by too fast.
 
As leaked, they're going the embedded SRAM(?) route vs Sony "unified" GDDR5
 
The more I read about this, the worse it seems. The Live TV is done via HDMI passthrough with an IR blaster for tuning. That is really unreliable and old tech.
 
Regarding the used games and the activation fee... What if my internet is down? It's not a troll attempt, I'm curious how will this work
 
eloj said:
As leaked, they're going the embedded SRAM(?) route vs Sony "unified" GDDR5
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Yeah, the GPU has on-die 32MB of SRAM, which is similar to a CPU's on-die cache. The system will have to manage swapping data between the SRAM and shared (and much slower) 8GB DDR3 memory pool.

The PS4 is using a 8GB GDDR5 pool that is unified end to end, which means both CPU and GPU can address the entire 8GB. The PS4 approach is the superior way to go. Microsoft probably went with cheaper DDR3 because of the increased cost of all the extra stuff they are including that PS4 doesn't have (DVR/Cable/etc).
 
Jerome36 said:
Has it actually been confirmed that the RAM is DDR3?
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Well, would they advertise their 8GB of GDDR5 memory as "8GB of memory"? Probably not. They also would not be putting such an emphasis on the 32MB on-die SRAM.
 
Jerome36 said:
Has it actually been confirmed that the RAM is DDR3?
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No, but it seems very unlikely they'd go for something faster when they've spent money on the SRAM (and use that kind of design).
 
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Basically, if there are any restrictions on used games I am out. F that and F- MS.
I bet a LOT of people are going to base their decision between PS4 and XBOX on this one key issue.

Really I was out anyway, but I would not get a PS4 if this was true either.
 
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