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You make a good point, I might be too hasty assuming the worst. I’m quite cynical when it comes to institutions and nearly every time they’ve left some room for interpretation, it’s for their own benefit. I’ll acknowledge that they might pull something out of the box that genuinely surprises me and reverse my negative response to their keynote, I’m not holding my breath though but you get some bonus points for not being knuckle-dragging caveman like some others.

about 9 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 1 reply

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Let’s just go over this again.

1. Mojave: 15 exclusives (8 new IPs)
2. Strand: Correction, 15 new game exclusives, 8 new ‘Franchises.’
3. Blakjedi: Correction, 15 exclusive IPs, 8 are new
4. Phil Spencer: 15 exclusive games, 8 are new franchises.

Doesn’t matter how ‘hard’ anyone tries, or however you want to perceive it, you lost and you’re wrong. Frankly, this is quickly turning into intellectual bullying on my part but I advise you to look at what dmfnt replied with, since he’s very correctly pointed out something I’ve hastily overlooked.

about 9 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 2 replies 1 recommend

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15 exclusive IPs within the first year 8 of which are NEW. No need to spin it further.

15 exclusive games […] 8 of which are brand new franchises

Are we playing spot the difference now? You’re basically acknowledging I’m right.

about 10 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 1 reply

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When a company uses a peculiarly ambiguous word like “Franchise” as opposed to the expected “IP” in their proof-read keynote, there’s a reason. Either they want cynically to leave the interpretation open, or as noted in The Verge’s post-show coverage, they’re treating their products like McDonald’s.

I’m not unfairly scrutinising this reveal vs any other product launch. What really annoys me is that internet white knights will attempt to discredit or belittle the experience of their fellow consumers for a corporation that sees them as a positive line on a spreadsheet.

What else should I call him? Inattentive? Myopic? Challenged? Doesn’t change that I am right. I’ll let my words speak for me, if he’s thin-skinned enough to be obliquely insulted by ‘stupid,’ he probably shouldn’t be on a message board.

about 10 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 1 reply 1 recommend

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No. Why does it seem I watched Microsoft’s keynote more attentively than their own stupid fans? Here’s what they said: 15 exclusive games, 8 new franchises. They did not ever use the terms IP or Intellectual Property. If you want to split hairs, EA Sports: Curling and Halo: Colon’d Spin-Off can classify as new ‘franchises’ because they’re only peripherally related to the original IP.

about 11 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 2 replies

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On the few occasions I’ve driven high, I’m as slow as a tortoise because you’re acutely aware of how dulled your reflexes are, the tactile sensation of your hands on the wheel, or clothes on your body are almost distracting and you’re also paranoid that something will jump in front of your car even if it’s an empty road at 2AM.

Disclaimer: Personal anecdote, don’t get high kids!

about 11 hours ago on Medical marijuana users can drive drugged, rule Michigan courts 3 replies

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I wouldn’t be so hyperbolic as to call it outrage, more like annoyance but enough that I won’t buy the new Xbox outright. A lot of people have been mocking the disappointing announcements like the CoD dog but those are just details. Launch titles have always been mediocre and it’s never going to change. My single biggest gripe, which kills this console for me is the ‘always on’ functionality.

I’m a GP and travel rurally a few times a year with no internet, one of the only times I can actually get through my to-play list. If the new Xbox has to phone home every day, then it rules it out for me. I’m an Xbox 360 owner, but I’m also a solitary gamer. I play games like I read books or watch movies. I get a bunch of recommendations, and maybe a few months later when I get the time, I’ll play through them. So I don’t really care about the social aspect or TV and I no longer have a gold subscription.

Ultimately it comes down to exclusives. If there are exceptional titles that make it worth putting up with all the other bullshit, yeah I may buy one. I did the same thing with the PS3, I waited until there was a healthy discount and purchased it just to play the Uncharted games. But that’s not what MS wants, they want my money now and that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

about 17 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 1 reply 2 recommends

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8 new IPs

Actually, no. The deliberately ambiguous terminology they used was “eight new franchises” which can theoretically and conveniently include spin-offs, reboots, or even ‘coloned’ sequels.

about 18 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 1 reply 1 recommend

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Oh woe is me! A company that might have the humility to listen to its own consumers! Run for the hills!

about 19 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 4 recommends

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What a cop-out. There’s outrage from actual people with real demands and hand-waving them away as being astroturfed, "NERD-raging’ or phony is dismissive and conceited. I care about ‘always on’ so don’t you dare try to dismiss my criteria for choosing a new console, or that of any other person because you happen to support a goddamn company over fellow consumers.

I think Microsoft’s projection of selling 10s of millions in the first year are spot on if they can get Apple fans to get on board.

Baseless speculation. You seem to believe the success of the Xbox depends on overcoming irrational and arbitrary brand loyalty, because these pointless fanboy wars have warped your brain into ignoring the existence of casual fans who can enjoy more than one company’s product concurrently.

Here’s a little food for thought: the X360 is popular now. All those kids with gold subscriptions? If you look at sales figures, they’re not the ones buying Windows Phones or W8 machines. As much as you wish it were true OP, you don’t need to buy into the whole Microsoft deal, or abandon your Apple product to own an Xbox.

about 19 hours ago on Fake outrage over XBox One "restrictions" 1 reply 9 recommends

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You forget Roman has the best line in a franchise of zingers.

11 million? Sounds like a whole lotta vaginal activity to me

1 day ago on 'Fast & Furious 6' review: all roads lead to explosions 1 reply 2 recommends

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Because it updates in the background, ultimately depends on how often you log in. If you haven’t played say, TF2 in a few months, yeah chances are you’re going to need to install a minor update.

That said, Steam is making it more frictionless so you can boot straight to Big Picture Mode now aka don’t need to go through Windows to log in, or even dig into the taskbar to find it. It’s pretty much a console dashboard. Regarding all the other things like driver updates, the only thing you’ll need to semi-regularly patch is your videocard.

Consoles are still more convenient, but the gap is closing. Plus it didn’t help that my X360 got really fucking slow as of mid-2012. Some dashboard update or other completely borked it and now it’s a chore to even turn on, not to mention the fan which I can barely hear the game over anymore.

1 day ago on Dealbreakers: How Microsoft is Pushing Away It's Customers with the Xbox One

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The update thing is now a console issue too, so it’s unavoidable. Most PC games are linked to some broader client like Steam, Origin or Battlenet and are about as painless as updating your Xbox or PS3.

You can build a relatively cheap Steam Box for $500 which will power any modern game for the next couple years on Ultra settings at >30 fps. The beauty is that when there come games that challenge your machine, you can slowly replace individual components and still get amazing value.

Honestly, my single biggest motivator to jump to PC is controller support. Nearly all the newest games have it, so when you plug in a 360 controller, it automatically maps out everything, and the UI changes reflect it. You’re basically playing a much prettier X360 game for a fraction of the price.

1 day ago on Dealbreakers: How Microsoft is Pushing Away It's Customers with the Xbox One 1 reply

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Grilled cheese is perfect bachelor chow. You can also buy mini cans of tomato soup that if reheated can also be used as a dipping sauce, best served with a slice of shame.

1 day ago on Verge Favorites: Carl Franzen 1 recommend

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The past few years haven’t been kind to home consoles. They’re looking dated and all their major franchises were either finishing their contractually-obligated trilogies (Uncharted, Halo, Assassin’s Creed, Gears, Mass Effect) or running on fumes with spin-offs (pretty much those same franchises).

Consoles always had the advantage of just flopping down on a couch and booting up a game but now with Big Picture Mode and near-universal controller support, I’m not even sure that’s a differentiator. My PC is endlessly upgradeable so it’ll always look better than a console, and the games are so much cheaper. Amazon has fairly regular sales where they slash 50% off weeks-old games, to say nothing of the Humble Bundles and Steam Sales. Even full retail price downloads are far cheaper than console.

As a traditional console gamer who’s always played PC games (aka AoE and Starcraft) on-off, the value proposition for a console is just not there anymore, unless they offer one hell of an exclusive carrot. I could not care less about TV or the social aspect… and it’s not just the new Xbox, I’m also unsure the next Playstation is suited for the sort of hobbyist gamer I’ve become as I’m approaching 30.

1 day ago on Dealbreakers: How Microsoft is Pushing Away It's Customers with the Xbox One 1 reply

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Did you do absolutely no research whatsoever? What a stupid thread.

1 day ago on Are there any real differences between the Google Galaxy S4 and the Nexus 4 besides price? 14 recommends

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The clarity actually goes to shit.

1 day ago on I knew Beats Audio was bad but...

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I never did understand why everyone in the beginning believed that guy when he said the Warriors killed Cyrus. Yeah? That guy shot Cyrus? Forget due process or even interrogation, let’s kill him!

2 days ago on Tracking 'The Warriors' through old New York, in 1979 and 2013

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The number of people clamouring for offline functionality shows it’s obviously not just a handful of ignorable fans. We’re not forcing MS to cater exclusively to us, but instead offer the option like they did last time. If you want the XBLA/Gold experience then have fun, otherwise feel free to keep it offline. Instead, you’re creative a false controversy by framing our points as something they’re not, just to white-knight your chosen company’s unpopular decision.

You’re conceitedly and selfishly discrediting other’s use case scenarios because it’s not like yours, and not what MS is providing. If this console is what you’re suggesting, I’m not buying. MS can listen to their yes-men like yourself, leave money on the table and concede consumers like me to a competitor…. or they can actually listen, something you’re obviously not doing while loudly trying to belittle everyone whose opinion differs from your own.

2 days ago on Xbox One confusion: Microsoft leaves used games and 'always-online' requirement unclear

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It depends on which retailer-seller contract, some retailers for example consider stock property of the manufacturer or publisher until point of sale. On the other end of the scale, yes, some retailers outright purchase stock which they then make profit on but in either scenario, shipped units is not an accurate criterion for success. Even if all units are considered bought and paid for by a retailer, if it does not sell, it causes longer term issues of restocking and damages the relationship between manufacturer and stockist for future products.

2 days ago on 'Around 5 million' HTC One phones sold since launch

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I did a few W8 appstore searches when I installed the Pro key during the promotion and didn’t find anything I wanted besides the now, poorly-updated Evernote and I simply stopped bothering. I’ve slipped back into essentially the same habits I had before I installed W8 (use desktop exclusively).

3 days ago on Most Windows 8 Users Rarely Use Any Windows 8 Apps

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I didn’t know they went as low as weakening the standard sound profile to make beats audio sound better

Are you surprised? The One’s speakers are great but they sound worse and muffled when you toggle Beats off. Before, Beats just used to double down on bass when you turned it on, but remained neutral when it was (permanently) off. It reminds me of how retailers sometimes sabotage their showrooms with component cables, just to create an illusory difference between non-branded and overpriced, Monster HDMI cables,

3 days ago on I knew Beats Audio was bad but... 2 replies 2 recommends

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Actually, it’s not ‘just’ about apps. If you’ve been following the transition into these high-res panels whether it be the rMBP or modern W8 ultrabooks, you’d know it’s still inconsistent even across the web. This is a recent review of the high-res Kirabook

most Windows apps aren’t designed to be seen at such high resolutions. Chrome is effectively unusable, for instance, and most apps don’t render text or images properly

Most desktop apps look pretty bad, though, whether it’s Evernote or Steam or Quicken — icons are too small, pictures too blurry, text too pixelated. I’m not sure they’re going to be updated any time soon, either, given that the Kirabook is but one (very expensive) computer in the Windows ecosystem

A lot of websites have been improved as a result of high-res displays on MacBooks, iPads, and elsewhere, but a lot of the web still looks bad on screens this good

Most services haven’t been updated to support these high-res displays because they’re still a relatively niche product.

3 days ago on High Resolution is here...at Windows. 1 recommend

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If it’s 5 million sold to consumers, that’s great. HTC needs to stick around. I have nothing against Samsung but I don’t want to live in a world where they’re the only viable Android OEM. As much as HTC’s the underdog, they always seem to put some care into how they design their stuff.

3 days ago on 'Around 5 million' HTC One phones sold since launch 1 reply 19 recommends