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This really isn’t news. The Xbox 360 was the same with LIVE access outside your home country. When I lived in South Africa, I couldn’t access Xbox live on account to my Live account being “US”. This is effectively a digital form of Region Locking and we can’t do anything about it. It sucks for those who wanted to important the Console, and I sense that you can still probably play games without issue, I just don’t think you can rent movies and buy music….

MS hasn’t been terribly good about handling cross border access. I remember asking the Zune Support once about traveling and using my then Zune pass. They said it wouldn’t work. I landed in Canada, turned on my laptop and fired up Zune and it worked just fine…. But that’s just one case, may not apply here.

4 days ago on WTF is wrong with you MS ???

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Godwin strikes again…..

I’m don’t feel like repeating myself. Just refer post above you regarding software “off” switches… And the posts below me about how you should be more worried about your phone than your kinect. If people want to run for the hills over something they don’t understand, by all means, let them. I’ll gladly hold the gate open for them

6 days ago on Xbox's Flaw: Kinect Privacy 4 recommends

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Oh you need to watch the Daily Show from a few days ago. They poked fun at statements like this. That said, I agree, there really isn’t privacy issues here. It’s fair to ask about it and be concerned, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary if you ask me.

6 days ago on Xbox's Flaw: Kinect Privacy

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So is your webcam and cell phone and tablet camera… I don’t see people running for the hills there either.

6 days ago on Xbox's Flaw: Kinect Privacy 2 replies 5 recommends

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Microsoft has said a few times already that you can turn the kinect off. It seems odd that it needs to remain connected to the console but the device and all it’s functionality is disabled.

As for privacy, I can assure you that there is no concern there. They are just unlucky that this whole NSA thing happened around their announcement and E3.

That said, if anything I’m rather happy that people are concerned about their privacy, but kinect isn’t what I would be worried about.

6 days ago on Xbox's Flaw: Kinect Privacy 1 reply 3 recommends

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I’m tweeting at them bro! But everyone just seems to be ignoring me! Can’t blame them, the volume of tweets and randomness they must be dealing with at the moment…. But still!

6 days ago on Why is the Xbox One "Family Sharing" ability being ignored? 2 recommends

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I believe thats the point. Your “family” share their library. You can play your own games when ever you like, and your family can play any one game at time. So if I own Titan Fall and you are part of my “family” you and I can hope on and play it together, or you can play it by yourself later without ever having bought the game…. I think thats rather cool… Don’t you ;)

6 days ago on Why is the Xbox One "Family Sharing" ability being ignored? 2 replies 1 recommend

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I think this post examples it well enough:

Xbox One Game Licensing

Give your family access to your entire games library anytime, anywhere: Xbox One will enable new forms of access for families. Up to ten members of your family can log in and play from your shared games library on any Xbox One. Just like today, a family member can play your copy of Forza Motorsport at a friend’s house. Only now, they will see not just Forza, but all of your shared games. You can always play your games, and any one of your family members can be playing from your shared library at a given time.

I have highlighted the important word in the statement…

6 days ago on Why is the Xbox One "Family Sharing" ability being ignored? 2 replies 4 recommends

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And I’m pretty sure thats what will be happening. I actually think it may get as low as 249$ if you get it with certain ISP packages.

6 days ago on So, How Does Microsoft Solve the DRM Problem?

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The cost of giving a way a million or so gold memberships in the first four months of sale isn’t that large. It’s not a matter of money, its a matter of value and mind share. Currently people see the PS4 as 100$ cheaper, if MS come out and say we shall give you a gold membership worth 60$ for free, suddenly things get interesting in everyone’s mind. Ps4+PS Plus is more expensive than an Xbox One + Gold.

It really doesn’t cost Microsoft anything to give away the memberships. Plus the investment into the infrastructure has already been made, we have been paying for it for seven years now. I think it would be wise for MS to take the hit, give away the Gold membership but get a few thousand if not hundred thousand console sales. It really is an easy trade and financially, it makes sense.

6 days ago on So, How Does Microsoft Solve the DRM Problem? 1 reply

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My impression from their original May press event is that they are overlaying the Xbox UI over the incoming cable signal and using some defined HDMI 1.4 standard to control the cable box. Effectively, your Cable box is connected to your Xbox One via a HDMI cable and the Xbox does the rest. It’s not best solution (that would be having the cable…cable going straight into the xbox and not needing the cable box to start) but it is a very interesting start to solve this problem.

Not sure if that helped :D

6 days ago on Live TV on XBOX One - What is and what could be...

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That post was a bit misleading. DRM by publishers is DRM from the Publisher’s side, a la SimCity. The PS4 will not require you to do anything to play games other than pop a disc into the console.

Personally, I think the solution to MS’s problem is just off one year of XBOX live gold with every purchase of XBOX One until they lower the price, making the value of the package almost the same as the PS4. They can afford to give away the live memberships if you ask me.

That being said, MS has failed in one key area, and thats explaining to consumers why we need the 24 hour check. Tell us why this adds value to our experience as a whole. They have never been good at selling themselves and this is just another example of it. All they have to do is explain what benefit I’m getting for trading the current model for their suggested model. And frankly I honestly think Microsoft is going to have the console subsidized by cable, ISP and Xbox Live subscriptions and the resulting price will be far more competitive with the PS4.

I know this is weird to say since I’ll be working for them in a few months but if anyone in that company has any sense of vision, they would have already started working on a XBOX Live trade house (like I said before, think Diablo 3’s auction house but with games) They get that up and running, devs are happy, publishers are happy, gamers are happy, we all move along…. But I doubt they have the foresight, at least not until I get there ;)

6 days ago on So, How Does Microsoft Solve the DRM Problem? 1 reply

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The issue at play is Microsoft wants to transition to a digital game library, so the disc in there model is just content delivery, a la PC games that run on steam. It’s a trade off, do you want your games with you, on any machine without needed to worry about discs and what not but need to connect to the internet to check your library “status” or do you want to stay with things as they are and need discs for everything… Personally, if Steam has shown me anything, I’m more than happy to give up trade ins and disc for fast and easy access to my content on multiple devices.

That being said, my honest opinion is MS just need to up and admit they are working on an Xbox Live Trading house. Think Diablo’s auction house but with your digital content instead of loot. IF they come out and say they are working on such at thing, I think every single person that has issue with this online policy and used game confusion will shut up and be happy.

But that’s my two cents.

6 days ago on simple solution for xbox on used games 1 reply

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I like Peter Moore but I doubt he would have out and admitted anything at this point. Last thing he wants is have some of the fire aimed at MS aimed at EA. All in all, I’m happy online passes are dead. As for Online access to content, I’m personally indifferent.

7 days ago on EA denies lobbying for Xbox One used game restrictions, calls Online Pass program a mistake 3 replies 7 recommends

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I believe FIFA 13 had Kinect integrated in a interesting way. It wasn’t fully featured, but it picked up when you swore at the ref and you can call out subs and formation changes. It wasn’t that useful as it struggled to pick up what my friends and I were saying, us being South Africans playing the US version of the game. That said, the knowledge that kinect is coming with every Xbox One should motivate devs to try and do some weird and wonderful things with their games.

The horror game example presented at the original announcement would be brilliant, as well as naturally calling out commands to AI in game. I know the power of the cloud is well and truly overestimated at the moment, but in a few years we should get to the point where natural speech can be understood and the Kinect+Cloud processing provide some truly interesting potential. All that being said, it comes down to there actually being devs willing to invest the time and money into this, and for that the Xbox One needs to sell well. Something we need to wait to see.

7 days ago on Don't flinch: the new Kinect could be the end of motion gimmicks 1 reply 1 recommend

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I personally was expecting that price. Given the kinect comes bundled in and the cable integration, 499$ seemed about right. Is that expensive, I suppose that depends on what you plan on using it for. Personally, I watch tons of sports and I imagine having my xbox connected to my cable to make life a bit easier for me to enjoy and experience my sports. As for games, I was really impressed with the variety on show today. They really did show a lot of games, and most looked rather brilliant.

In short, if you want it just for games, its step. If you plan on using its cable features and other media features, then its an acceptable price. Would I prefer it being 100$ cheaper, sure. But I would prefer almost everything be 100$ cheaper.

8 days ago on Xbox One launching in November for $499 in 21 countries, pre-orders start now 1 reply

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So This may very well be the replacement to my Surface Pro later on in the year. I’ll wait to see what Microsoft come up with in the next Surface Pro, but this machine looks the part thats for sure. Looking forward to a hands on and eventually a review.

15 days ago on Asus unveils 13.3-inch Zenbook Infinity with Gorilla Glass lid

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Brilliant, just brilliant!

24 days ago on Photoshop this: Steve Ballmer's surprise introductions throughout history

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Honestly, this is an extremely impressive option. I don’t think HTC can steal mind share from Samsung, at least not at this point but that phone with stock Android is comfortably the best android experience. And this is coming from a guy that actually likes Sense.

I no longer have an android phone, but if I did, and if I was looking for an upgrade… HTC would have my money with this offering.

25 days ago on HTC One 'Google Edition' with stock Android reportedly in the works