E3: Here’s What I Think (Xbox One Edition)

Jonathan Amarelo SigXbox’s show went on without so much of a hitch as I feel people are giving it crap for.  There was that snafu with the Battlefield 4 clip, but other than that, it was pretty solid.  They did their best to show off their best.  So without further ado, here’s the rundown of the Xbox One E3 presentation and what I found interesting.

-New 360 design… uh… thanks?
-Gold membership carries from 360 to One and gets two free games

-Ryse: Son of Rome still looks rather beastly minus the uber abundance of QTE’s. I know they couldn’t really get the thematic feel they were going for otherwise, but I still don’t really appreciate them. My biggest complaint though, where in the crap was the Kinnect controls? This was one of those games I was hoping would carry the Kinnect 2.0 to freedom… seriously, very disappointed as this would have been a great opportunity to show it off.
-The only thing that really caught me game-wise so far was the new Metal Gear Solid V… if I can actually play the whole game stealth since I suck at FPS’s with console controls (not exclusive though…)
*Edit* Titanfall was pretty pimp, that is freak’n sweet looking.

Project Spark seemed rather interesting, however, it would be one of those games that I would find interesting, probably pick up, but only play a short amount of time.  Hopefully projects will be able to be shared for free.
-Achievement comparison between friends with smart glass… I’m sure someone out there loves this.
-Microsoft points are gone and being switched to real money!  I find this odd that Microsoft did this after Nintendo since they are usually the ones behind on online things.
-Gold membership sharing will be between family members from the same console even when you’re not logged in.
-$499 price point is high, but possibly worth it.
-There were way too many teaser trailers shown.  It’s neat, but I don’t fully appreciate them for movies, I kind of feel the same way with video games.

Ok, while I may have come away less impressed with the games than the PS4 presentation… well no.  I just wasn’t too impressed.  The content was there.  What was there was pretty, please don’t get me wrong.  I still think the Xbox One is an excellent machine that is capable of a lot of awesome.  I was under the impression that this was going to be all about the games.  I don’t feel they did it well enough.  There were a good chunk of multiplatform games and the ones that were exclusive didn’t completely grab me.

I think what really brought it down for me was the Ryse.  I had the most hope for that game.  I want that game to be amazing, and for all intents and purposes, it’s is a great looking game.  It may even control well with the next version of the controller, but I was still under the impression that it was a Kinnect game and I really really wanted to see one of the devs jump on the stage and start “Sparta!” kicking baddies with it!  Where was that?!

Overall, they did have a great looking system.  Will plethora of features outweigh Sony’s?  Will they win the console war?  With this presentation, I would think not, but honestly, if they can get the Kinnect 2.0 up and running smoothly, that will push it over the edge in a lot of people’s minds.  Right now, all they have is a super great system that won’t really use used games and need to be online once every 24 hours (not a huge deal for me, but some people have issues with it).  That wouldn’t be too big of an issue if the PS4 had the same issues… which they don’t.

6 thoughts on “E3: Here’s What I Think (Xbox One Edition)

  • June 13, 2013 at 19:37
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    I agree with your assessment. I didn’t get to see the whole program, so it was good to read what you wrote.

    For me, I love what this machine is capable of. I too think the kinect being part of the bundle is actually the only thing separating the two consoles price wise.

    Blu-ray is a little late in the game, but a nicety. I say that instead of necessity because of the large move to netflix and other online movies/shows. Which brings me to the fact that you can’t watch anything without the gold membership. Booh. Just Booh.

    Gaming offline…nope. This is a big glamorous box of LAME! If you want to play games offline buy an XBox 360…WHAT?!?!? Seems counter productive. People are already stating that they’ll just get a PS4. I think M$ needs (and I assume will) go back to their offices, sharpen their pencils, and get to work on fixing their Faux pas. (read: Used games)

    Will I buy one? Yes. Why…maybe merely because I can. But I am excited for some of the new exclusives. Will I buy a PS4…probs. Yeah…I’m THAT guy.

    Reply
    • June 13, 2013 at 19:50
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      They have to have some grand master plan to put all this out there. Seriously… Microsoft isn’t completely filled with idiots, people got together and looked at numbers and charts and brainstormed and this is the brainchild of the collective there.

      They are probably looking at the long term, and that’s all well and good except that trying to step it up or having all of the goodies come to fruition at the 2-3 year mark in a consoles life is a bad play. They really need to get those games that make people “need” this console.

      Reply
  • June 14, 2013 at 00:05
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    I am rather bummed about the restrictions Microsoft is putting on the Xbox One and it’s users. I, for one, love renting games with a friend, beating the game, and being done with it. From what it sounds like, that’s not going to be possible with the Xbox One; unless they add some pay-to-play, online multiplayer, which, I guess is happening anyway with a lot of developers (Ubisoft being one of them with their “Uplay Passport”. I feel like I’m already going broke paying for this and that and those as it is.

    Then there’s the mandatory, once a day, online check-in to make sure you’re obeying the rules; feels very intrusive… makes me feel like I’m back in summer camp where I wasn’t allowed to go to the restroom without having to tell someone and take a buddy; only, this time I have to pay a toll before using the restroom and also show someone my willy even though I don’t want to… I’m scared and confused! I can walk fifty yards without supervision, thank you very much!
    I sometimes like to take my Xbox camping (yes, I know, not REAL camping, but with an RV and a fancy generator and flat screen), or I like to take it to the condo in cascade, that doesn’t have internet, and the church down the road doesn’t have a strong enough WiFi for me to steal!

    I guess it doesn’t feel like it’s about the games anymore and it’s more about making sure fatten their pockets. (Ugh, I sound like my dad)

    PS4 is looking pretty friendly right now and has some pretty awesome games, BUT, then I’d have two online networks to pay for since I’ll probably keep my 360 till it’s dead!

    I’m just ranting now.

    Bottom line: I’ll have to wait and see how things play out.
    I probably won’t be getting either of the new consoles right away since there are still new games being released for the 360 and plenty of life left in it. I have very mixed feelings about the next generation.

    Reply

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