With both Microsoft and Sony’s latest entries into the console market breaking sales records worldwide, the war over who has the prettiest and shiniest monolithic black boxes is finally underway. The problem is they have not been the astounding commercial success that have taken the headlines. In light of a recent string of delayed content, suspect decisions and broken promises, all signs point towards a hurried and premature launch for both systems.
To kick this off, let’s sit the Xbox One on the naughty step. Kinect is pretty nifty isn’t it, Xbox? What happened with all your convenient voice commands and seamless integration into your games? Sadly, for now Microsoft’s vision of an effortless Borg-like assimilation of player and machine is in need of a much needed tweaking. Suffering from a rigid list of voice commands and weak incorporation into launch titles, one can’t help feel that the much flaunted Kinect 2.0 isn’t quite ready for prime time.
Now, I see you sneaking away PS4; don’t think you’ve gotten out of this… At least Microsoft’s camera can actually be used for something other than allowing people to get banned from Twitch for live-streaming a bit of slap n’ tickle via The Playroom, as miniature AR Robots watch on in horror. Sure, Killzone: Shadow Fall may have picked up some pretty good scores but there is no dodging the unfortunate truth that Knack is barely more exciting than chatting and playing snap in a dark room with Peter Andre’s agent.
The robot-faced Kinect
Unfortunately, it’s been a rather mediocre line-up from Sony, with flagship titles like DriveClub being pushed back to 2014. Whilst it may be accurate to say third party multi-platform titles such as Assassins Creed IV, Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts are the superior versions, many running on 1080p rather than 720p, like on Xbox, in practice these differences are negligible with very little to differentiate between the two. So even though Xbox One technically has gloating rights over its game library, Microsoft seems to have outlined a rather unsettling next-gen trend that apparently does nothing more than raise a stubborn middle finger to consumers. I speak of course, of micro-transactions.
Be it paying for content to add to Forza 5’s massively stripped-back track and car selection, being spammed with messages to buy points to upgrade your characters in Ryse and Crimson Dragon or having to fork out just to unlock characters in Killer Instinct’s anaemic roster of fighters, it’s a worrying feature that has reared its ugly head in the majority of Xbox One launch titles. Features on both systems may be incomplete such as content sharing or may even be outright missing, like PS4’s ability to jump into a friend’s game or the Xbox One’s Twitch and Sky functionality, but essentially forcing gamers to play incomplete games when they buy an Xbox is a sad state of affairs.
Forza Motorsport 5 microtransactions
With all these problems laid bare, it would still be irrational to get too discouraged by the Xbox One and PS4 launches. Yes, there may be teething problems, and yes, things will always need adding and updating, but these are necessary evils that define every console generation. One only has to look at the PS3’s massive development issues and the Xbox 360’s original 68 per cent failure rate to understand this, but now they both stand as two of the greatest systems of all time. For those of you out there who have bought or are planning to buy a next-gen console, don’t be disheartened. The best is yet to come.
Broadcast live from Redmond, Washington, the Xbox One was revealed to the world at 18:00 GMT on the 21/05/13.
Here’s a timeline of what went down, including the key figures and features that were shown off.
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18:00
The reveal begins with a video featuring Stephen Spielberg and J.J Abrams, as well as a large number smiling people.
They’re talking about the very you-centric console that’s about to be revealed – one that will make you have a relationship with your television.
18:03
Don Mattrick, President of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, takes to the stage and welcomes the crowd of laptop wielding games-folk. He introduces an “all in one entertainment system” that is ” Simple, instant” and “complete.”
18:07
“Xbox One” is revealed as the name of Microsoft’s new console.
Discarding the rumoured “Xbox Infinity” or “Xbox 720”. The name revelation was followed by some pretty detailed close ups of the very shiny console, controller and kinect, accompanied, of course, by some high tempo ‘wow’ music.
“All your entertainment, All in One,” reads the screen.
Yusef Mehdi, Senior Vice President at Microsoft, is welcomed to the stage. He describes how to “always ready and connected” Xbox One will switch on instantly at the words “Xbox on!”.
The Xbox home screen will remember what you have been recently doing, and a trending section is demonstrated, showing what’s popular with our friends and the community.
The interface is familiar, but the new features seemed a welcome addition to the applauding crowd.
18:12
Voice recognition is used to command the Xbox One to instantly change what it’s doing, alongside the controller, Kinect and Smartglass working together to improve and innovate control.
Users will be able to perform two activities at once, such as browsing the web while watching a film, using simple arm movements and ‘snapping’ activities together. But whether the new console really will have the technology to allow these to work as seemlessly as Mehdi demonstrates will be a massive question on every potential buyer’s lips.
18:14
Mehdi interacts in a seemless and high quality Skype call with his team mate, DJ, while in ‘snap mode’ (While he’s watching Star Trek and addressing an audience of millions). Using what he calls the best living room camera available, it seems the online video call experience could be improved greatly by the Xbox One.
Image Credit: ibtimes.com
18:16
In keeping with the rest of the US-centric sports features of the Xbox One, Mehdi commands the console to “watch ESPN” and shows how users will now be able to watch key clips from games. Pointing to awards ceremonies and political debates, Mehdi makes a good case for the Xbox One’s potential in having users interact live with TV.
18:17
We’re also able to use voice commands to navigate through TV guides, so losing the remote won’t be a problem anymore. Although losing your voice might be.
18:19
Marc Whitten, General Manager of Xbox Live, comes on to discuss the mechanics behind the Xbox One.
He demonstrates the incredibly fast operating system, the intricate connections between the many controllers, the inclusion of a Blu Ray drive and the console’s ability to run almost silently.
The next generation of Kinect (including face recognition that will allow the system to load your personal save file) was given an impressive demonstration, including claims that it would have greater recognition of body parts as well as a heart beat sensor.
It also seems Smart Glass will play a big role in controlling the Xbox One to its optimum ability, which could prove controversial.
18:26
Whitten goes on to discuss Xbox Live. In order to create “living and persistent worlds” Microsoft will be providing 300,000 servers, making the number available for the 360 only fractional.
Achievements will also become more dynamic, he claims, focussing not only on what we do, but how we play.
18:28
Executive Vice President of EA Sports, Andrew Wilson, takes to the stage to talk about Ignite, EA Sport’s new game engine, designed to blur the lines of fiction and reality. While the details aren’t clear, an array of high profile sportsman including Jon Jones (a martial artist, not to be confused with Jon Jones, Exeposé Online Games Editor!) talk about the importance of mental immersion in sports that will hopefully be translated into EA Sports games.
Wilson ended with a preview of FIFA 14 that is being developed exclusively for the Xbox One.
18:36
Phil Spencer, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios is introduced. He is keen to promote the Xbox team’s commitment to providing exclusive features and games, securing 15 unnamed exclusive games in the next year, of which 8 are new franchises.
He also shows trailers for Forza Motorsports 5, which consists mainly of random close ups on car parts, but looks good nonetheless.
18:40
Spencer then reveals the trailer for Quantum Break, a new game from the developers of Max Payne and Alan Wake, that focus on the effects of the player on the world and events surrounding them.
Image Credit: gameinformer.com
He stresses the Xbox One’s provision of new experiences. While the trailer doesn’t reveal anything in game play terms, the inclusion of real recorded clips alongside the ability to change the virtual world around you could be more fun than they let on here.
With more titles in development now than there ever have been in Xbox history, variety seems to be key.
18:42
Nancy Tellem, Head of Xbox Entertainment Studios, comes on to introduce the Xbox One team’s mission to transform television. According to Tellem, the console will be able to provide recommendations with “amazing” precision, and make the television experience more personal and immersive.
While she doesn’t go too far into the intricacies of this, the importance of television as part of the Xbox One experience is apparently integral. Confusingly mentioning the Halo series, Tellem invites General Manager of 343 Industries, Bonnie Ross, to the stage.
18:44
Ross pays tribute to the Halo universe and its potential for storytelling. She then surprisingly announces the controversial concept of a live action Halo television series, introducing none other than Stephen Spielberg to talk about his involvement.
18:46
Spielberg appears on screen speaking about his love of games. He describes the Halo universe as having potential to be at the intersection between the silver screen and the more physically interactive worlds of video gaming.
18:48
Tellem returns to introduce a “game changing” partnership with America’s National Football League. The following sequence shows Don Mattrick describing the benefits the technology of the Xbox One can bring to watching live sport.
While this doesn’t look great for UK sport fanatics just yet, there is certainly room for innovation later.
18:51
Mattrick returns to the stage to say that the Xbox One is a “must have” all in one system for every living room that will be available, wait for it… At some point this year.
18:53
Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, is welcomed to the stage, with the ominous Call of Duty: Ghosts masks floating on screens behind him. He speaks about reinventing the franchise, with a new world, narrative and cast of characters.
18:54
A behind the scenes look at the work of Infinity Ward, the developers of Call of Duty: Ghosts is played.
Big time director, Stephen Gaghan has been brought in to help devise a narrative, and the game is said to be centred around the remnants of the US forces, and their dog, operating in an America crippled by terrorism.
Realism is improved: we’re able to lean and slide, the maps are more interactive, and the fish even move when you swim past them!
Character customisation, along with new maps, will improve multiplayer games.
Image Credit: mashable.com
18:58
Hirshberg claims this will be the most beautiful, character driven and emotionally engaging Call of Duty game ever made.
18:59
A comparison video is played between COD: MW3 and COD: Ghosts to demonstrate the radically improved. We can even see the hairs on people’s arms!
The jungle map looks particularly impressive with the innovative technologies Infinity Ward have employed.
19:00
The world premiere of the trailer for Call of Duty: Ghosts is broadcasted, and can be found here.
With some stunning looking maps, and a big eared dog running around with you, it’s looking to be a successful addition to the Call of Duty Franchise.
19:01: The event ends with a countdown to the E3 Expo, when more will be revealed!
With both Microsoft and Sony’s latest entries into the console market breaking sales records worldwide, the war over who has the prettiest and shiniest monolithic black boxes is finally underway. The problem is they have not been the astounding commercial success that have taken the headlines. In light of a recent string of delayed content, suspect decisions and broken promises, all signs point towards a hurried and premature launch for both systems.
exeposedev 