***Official Xbox Next Discussion Thread - Broadcast Launch 3.12.05 Thread*** (1 Viewer)

[Chris Bardon]

I think what bothers me even more is that according to IGN the HD pack won't be the same as the original Xbox (i.e. you'll have to buy another adapter). Is there any reason that they should change the adapter? I think that this has been a huge benefit for Nintendo and Sony, who haven't changed their A/V plugs (three generations for Nintendo)... or at least I've found it convenient.

Given that they're also supplying HDTVs for kiosks, I really don't see how making you buy a separate HD adapter makes any sense. It'd be like trying to sell a console around online play, but not including the network agapter. Apparently there are still a LOT of US households that still haven't figured out broadband... Perhaps inclusing both sets of cables would be more expensive, but I think that in the end it would help them sell systems.

 

[Ken Chui]

Raasean:
I don't think anyone here (myself included) will refute the graphical capabilities of the Xbox 360. Although very little in-game footage was shown on the MTV special (perhaps Allard & company wanted to convey to the public that there is no distinction between the FMV sequences and in-game footage, as both will be rendered in real time and the transition from one to the other will be seamless), the pre-E3 stills I've seen are very impressive. It's also safe to say that, as remarkable as the first-gen titles (such as Need For Speed: Most Wanted and The Darkness) look, its successors will induce even greater awe from onlookers.

However, is that enough to sway me into purchasing a unit at launch? Not right now, it isn't. It's safe to say that the PS3 equivalents will look every bit as good as the 360's counterparts (without technical compromises), so the distinction will have to be made in key areas such as software support, online capabilities and marketing campaigns.

Making Live available to the masses could entice more casual users (even with restrictions imposed), but if the pricing structure of the proposed Gold membership is on par with today's Live experience, regardless of improvements, it may do little to increase the projected revenue intake. I'm sure MS is banking heavily on Xbox 360 users signing up as paying customers for Gold memberships, but if it's just more of the status quo (except with a prettier interface), I'll be content with a Silver designation. Sony may follow in MS' footsteps with a similar online model, and my response will likely be the same (ditto for Nintendo). I am also vehemently opposed to the idea of microtransactions (especially when such content can be had for free in the PC community).

There are many potential 'A' games scheduled for release later this year on both the Xbox and PS2 that the immediate need for an Xbox 360 is anything but. Sure, it may look nicer, but that's not reason enough for me to consider buying one. Games such as The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory prove that the Xbox is still a very capable machine, both graphically and aurally. Thanks to the PSP, my interest in handheld gaming has been invigorated. With my gaming needs covered at home and on the road, the need for a new console has been further reduced.

I'm not saying that I don't want a 360; I do, just not right now.

 

[Mark Shannon]

 

[Peter-PP]

Will the next gen Xbox 360 play older games made for the original Xbox (backward compatible)? Thanks in advance!

 

[Jean D]

Nobody has said if it will yet. Its a concern a lot of people have.

 

[ChrisMatson]

Microsoft said yesterday that 360 will be backwards compatible.

 

[BrianB]

But only with some games.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

link

it will probably be through emulation, since xbox and xbox 360 have different cpu and gpu architectures.

CJ

 

[MarkInKC]

I am psyched about the 360. And from what I hear, the 360 comes not only from the "3" having to be in there, but something about the fact that Xbox has come full-circle or something along those lines. I don't remember where I read that.

If you want to get excited about the graphics, take a look at the most recent issue of Game Informer Magazine. I've always felt they were PS2/PS3 biased, but this issue has a great spread on Next Gen stuff and a 6-7 page layout of the Next gen game using the UnReal Engine. WoW!

I used to be a PC gamer, but I got sick of upgrading my PC to keep up with the games. That's the nice part about the Console, not only do I get to sit on my couch and play on my 57"HDTV instead of my monitor, but the games are designed for the console, you don't have to worry about what speeed you processor is, or how much RAM you have, you just buy it and it works. Amzing when it's that easy.

$60 is reasonable to me, If you have ever done any sort of game design or 3-D Animation you know how much work goes into those things. Our demand for better graphics and better game play and storylines have forced the game publisher to put more and more money into them. What did you expect? You can't buy a 10cent candy bar anymore either. You want to talk outrageous, let's talk about gas prices or the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks!

 

[MarkInKC]

BTW- From what I read, all the 360 games are being required to support 480p as a minimum. There won't be any upconverting. unless it does turn out to be backwards compatible, then obviously your old games would be.

 

[Jean D]

$60. isnt a reasonable price for me for your average game. If its a game....no, a franchise well worth the $ and you know you will use the game enough (like "Halo"), then sure. But if a game, I'll only play a few times before I get bored with, trys to sell at $60. I'll rent it instead, if its that interesting. Or, I'll just borrow it from a friend.

Really, I dont buy games to support the industry, I buy it to entertain me. If a game comes out and its worth my support, great. But if they have to charge a ton of money for games across the board, to pick up the slack of other games that bomb, well, that just sucks for us all, but that means they get even less money out of me. Im more likely to buy games at $40. fairly frequently, then games at $60. infrequently.

 

[Ken Chui]

Of course, what each of us like is purely subjective. While there's comfort in knowing what a franchise can offer, I do keep an eye on original content because, as we all know, variety is the spice of life.

Let's not forget that in order for a game to become a franchise, the first installment has to sell reasonably well, and for this to happen, consumers need to take chances on games that they would otherwise overlook or ignore. Online rental services such as Gamefly.com do offer a substantially larger selection of titles to sample (when compared with local video rental chains), though customers still have to contend with being placed on waiting lists.

I also don't think the days of bargain titles are totally behind us, though I do expect them to cost a bit more (say, around $30) and they'll come later in the Xbox 360/PS3's life cycle.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

About game prices, $60 to play a game as soon as I can, if it's good enough, is OK. Waiting over a year to play it at $40 is acceptable, too. It depends on how badly I want it. Let them release games at whatever price they want and the consumers will tell them if it's acceptable or not.

Also, prices on games (and even consoles) haven't really gone up in the last decade. They went up for some of the N64 and then back down.

It looks like the 360 isn't the most powerful of the next gen consoles, but its still nice. I'm not sure, though, if hefty Live features can sell me. I'll get it for the games anyway, but they haven't wowed me with anything yet (more specifically, anything that appeals to me...PDZ is underwhelming and racing/sports isn't my thing).

 

[Javier_Huerta]

I believe $60 for a game is too much. Then again - who will pay for the added complexity of game design the new consoles will require in order to extract the most out of them?

I read somewhere games cost the same they did 10 years ago. Think about it... Genesis games cost the same as the newer productions, which are definitely more complex and varied.

 

[BrionL]

So if Square Enix is on board, does that make it possible that we might see a Kingdom Hearts game for the 360?

Brion

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Doubt the Kingdom Hearts for 360. It's done well on PS2 and did OK for GBA, but the large wealth of characters would probably mean some weird contract renegotiating with Disney. Then again, they ARE making FFXI for 360, so anything's possible.

 

[Ken Chui]

Having Square Enix on board could be a big plus for Microsoft; whether that will translate into a larger presence in the Japanese market, time will tell.

If the standalaone FF storylines are still reserved for the PlayStation platform (FFXI doesn't really count in my book, as it's an MMORPG) and the 360 doesn't receive equal treatment in the RPG domain (via cross-platform development or exclusive titles), then Microsoft isn't really better off than where it was prior to SE's announcement, IMHO.

 

[Doug Miller]

Yeah, but Square Enix and EA both gave their "full support" to PS3 too, so XBox is not going to see an advantage or disadvantage with them there.

In terms of the backwards compatibility, I think it's pretty shitty that it's on "our best-selling games". Granted, I don't even have or play that many games, mainly sports. That said, there are plenty of poor bastards out there that have a boatload of games and you won't be able to play it on the new systems. And even those that you can play, it sounds like you need to download drivers for. I just think it's pretty weak, and the XBox guy said it in a way that parents and kids are going to think they're fine until they get the system home.

I'm surprised about the backlash on $60 game pricing. You're talking $10 more than standard new games with improved graphics, sound, and every game being Live ready. I can't count the number of dinners where I go out and it's over $60. Hell, you go to a movie with popcorn and a Coke and you're looking close to $40 for 2-3 hours of entertainment. Rack up the $60 price to being an evening out and enjoy the game, if you don't like it, trade it in and the next "evening out" will only be $30 with the trade-in.

Doug

 

[Ken Chui]

However, from Microsoft's perspective, having Square Enix in their pocket could be the proverbial foot in the door to the Japanese consumer base that they've been courting (with almost zero success) since the Xbox's launch. With SE on board, this paves the way for other Japanese developers to offer increased support for a US console manufacturer. TECMO has been an avid backer in MS' corner, but they don't have the market presence that SE brings.

 

[Matt C]

I interpreted that statement to be a very "careful" way of announcing it. They're obviously going the emulation route, since I doubt that MS is slapping an entire Xbox 1 into the 360. That said, emulation is a tricky thing, and my guess is that MS is watching it's back, so that if there are any Xbox 1 games that don't work properly on the 360, there will be very little room for complaint. It's really hard to say, and you should take what any of the gaming sites and news sites reporting on this say with a grain of salt. All of the sites are merely speculating, as we are, as to what "our best selling games" really means. Heck, it could just be Microsoft's current way of referring to all of their Xbox games as a lump total, in that, as a whole, Xbox 1 games sold very well. You have to watch out for those marketing tricks in any public statement. Once again, this is my own speculation on the announcement. Also, I seem to remember hearing that there were PSOne games that didn't work perfectly on the PS2. Emulation is far from a perfect thing, but at least gives us the chance to attempt playing our "old" games on the new system.

Doug, why do you think it sounds like you need to download drivers for backwards compatibility? I have yet to read anything that even hinted at that. If anything, it's possible that the emulation program could be updated via Live from time to time in order to improve compatibility with certain games, but that would be all automated...