Update: Microsoft is hosting a Xbox Conf. in April

[Aquanox]

Lets be honest. The main reason Microsoft has focused on casuals lately is because they succeeded with Kinect... where Sony failed.

It sucks for us hardcores but don't try to put that much make up on Sony either. They also tried to go for the Wii market in this generation, by down right copying them, but didn't have success. The natural move for Sony in this generation was to forget it and hit hard on the hardcore side, which makes me happy but if you think about it, is probably the only place they could've gone.

[Sub-stance1]

Lets be honest. The main reason Microsoft has focused on casuals lately is because they succeeded with Kinect... where Sony failed.

It sucks for us hardcores but don't try to put that much make up on Sony either. They also tried to go for the Wii market in this generation, by down right copying them, but didn't have success. The natural move for Sony in this generation was to forget it and hit hard on the hardcore side, which makes me happy but if you think about it, is probably the only place they could've gone.

True. I really don't think we've seen the last of sony's push for that market. They have their next version of move/pseye just like MS has their Kinect 2.

[YoungMullah88]

Lets be honest. The main reason Microsoft has focused on casuals lately is because they succeeded with Kinect... where Sony failed.

It sucks for us hardcores but don't try to put that much make up on Sony either. They also tried to go for the Wii market in this generation, by down right copying them, but didn't have success. The natural move for Sony in this generation was to forget it and hit hard on the hardcore side, which makes me happy but if you think about it, is probably the only place they could've gone.

isnt the playstation move more of a hardcore peripheral, they both want the same pie but sony is doing it differently than MS. i dont think kinect has been used for gameplay on any big budget game yet

[Soldier 95B]

Looking forward to more awesome exclusives.

isnt the playstation move more of a hardcore peripheral

No.

[Sub-stance1]

If MS have already planned to focus on the casual is it too late for them to now match the PS4 in core gamer potential?
After the success of the Wii and the DS going casual seems like a decent money spinner but the PS4 has done a 180° with casuals better off buying a PS3 right now.

I am pumped for whatever happens, fun times ahead.

As far as i know MS has never actually stated what their focus is. It's just people speculating. It looks like they are after all gamers.

[Sufi]

the rushed PS4 reveal was anything but fantastic. no console on show, none of the expected big exclusive AAA games, a few multi-plat games/engines thatt will also be on 720. oh yes.. a reveal on a memory increase that most all knew nothing about (especially the devs).

so what do MS need to counter the above at E3? i'd say its Sony that will have to do the countering going off MS's lack of response to the none PS4 reveal.

Ok lol. I don't know how to respond to this. It's making me laugh out loud. I don't even think I can argue with this.

Are you actually doubting so?

3 Games, tons of online modes... GT wouldn't catch up in hours played (or miles raced) even if the whole installed base starts playing non-stop from now until the PS4. =)

Haha... probably exaggerating but 2 things are for sure, Forza has brought a lot more hours of fun than GT this gen and second... well... that you're bringing your own speculation as facts... Note taken =)

That's probably because GT didn't come until the end of 2010. If you're going to do some sort of a pseudo-scientific study,

[MjW]

After Sony's presentation I expect a software bomb from MS. That and more Kinect than I can handle.

[Sufi]

Lets be honest. The main reason Microsoft has focused on casuals lately is because they succeeded with Kinect... where Sony failed.

It sucks for us hardcores but don't try to put that much make up on Sony either. They also tried to go for the Wii market in this generation, by down right copying them, but didn't have success. The natural move for Sony in this generation was to forget it and hit hard on the hardcore side, which makes me happy but if you think about it, is probably the only place they could've gone.

That's true and the last part can be vice verse as MS has not tried to compete with Sony with first party in a long while and unless we see something on E3 and a strong foundation from there on, they will have chosen a path for themselves, which is services and integration of peripherals.

[Two4DaMoney]

I sure do hope to see some new i.p's at this event. Bring the early 360 era back and stick to it please, ms. I'll be glad to buy a 720 then.

[Lethal_NFS]

First, telling someone they do not have common sense is an insult. Any further insults in this thread will receive an automatic infraction.

2nd, this thread is getting completely carried away. I highly suggest we get back to the topic.

3rd, I am deleting some of these stupid ass replies.

[Yuuichi]

I sure do hope to see some new i.p's at this event. Bring the early 360 era back and stick to it please, ms. I'll be glad to buy a 720 then.

I agree but if that used game thing is true itll be damaging.

[Aquanox]

Are you actually doubting so?

3 Games, tons of online modes... GT wouldn't catch up in hours played (or miles raced) even if the whole installed base starts playing non-stop from now until the PS4. =)

Haha... probably exaggerating but 2 things are for sure, Forza has brought a lot more hours of fun than GT this gen and second... well... that you're bringing your own speculation as facts... Note taken =)

That's probably because GT didn't come until the end of 2010. If you're going to do some sort of a pseudo-scientific study,

Exactly! Bingo! No need of a thorough scientific study of hours played here. You got it perfectly right!

And well obviously, "fun" being subjective, can't be scientifically measured... There is not a scientific method to measure it... dear "Padawan"... just like "love", "hate", "stubbornness"... etc. Unless you want to enlighten me (again lol) and share how... ?

By the way... It was obvious I was referring to hours played in my last paragraph. I know you got that one too. In case you didn't, well, I remark it now.


Great post mate!

[radgamer420]

As far as i know MS has never actually stated what their focus is. It's just people speculating. It looks like they are after all gamers.

Recycling the same 3 core IPs over and over while cranking out Kinect games and even turning a once controller based IP into a Kinect game, low budget cookie cutter XBLA games and going after exclusitivity on TV shows is evidence enough of where MS focus is. No speculation involved there.

[Aquanox]

Yes and no.

Yes they kinda screwed it at the end of this gen for the hardcores...

No... I don't think they will just sit and see how Sony eats the hardcore pie. If they're pulling a strong platform it's not going to be cheap. They need the hardcore to have it sold. Also, they're directly competing with PS4's launch this year... I just don't see MS following the same direction they did lately. The WiiU is a good example that casuals are unpredictable and don't rush to stores for every new console.

Also... there are many casuals and non-gamers that are happy right now playing with their phones and tablets... lets not forget this. This is NOT going to be a 3-sided battle this time around. Things have become much more complicated.

Again, I recommend patience and prudence before jumping the gun.

Recycling the same 3 core IPs over and over while cranking out Kinect games and even turning a once controller based IP into a Kinect game, low budget cookie cutter XBLA games and going after exclusitivity on TV shows is evidence enough of where MS focus is. No speculation involved there.

[Sub-stance1]

Yes and no.

Yes they kinda screwed it at the end of this gen for the hardcores...

No... I don't think they will just sit and see how Sony eats the hardcore pie. If they're pulling a strong platform it's not going to be cheap. They need the hardcore to have it sold. Also, they're directly competing with PS4's launch this year... I just don't see MS following the same direction they did lately. The WiiU is a good example that casuals are unpredictable and don't rush to stores for every new console.

Also... there are many casuals and non-gamers that are happy right now playing with their phones and tablets... lets not forget this. This is NOT going to be a 3-sided battle this time around. Things have become much more complicated.

Again, I recommend patience and prudence before jumping the gun.

lol...I don't think some will listen to that. It's clear they have their minds made up regardless. No one knows what MS has planned for the next gen. It's just the same old stuff that happened the beginning of this gen I guess.

[Aquanox]

Haha... I agree... but here's hoping someone surprises me!

lol...I don't think some will listen to that. It's clear they have their minds made up regardless. No one knows what MS has planned for the next gen. It's just the same old stuff that happened the beginning of this gen I guess.

[TEJ2025]

lol...I don't think some will listen to that. It's clear they have their minds made up regardless. No one knows what MS has planned for the next gen. It's just the same old stuff that happened the beginning of this gen I guess.

So much irony in this post.

[Old Man Gamer]

lol...I don't think some will listen to that. It's clear they have their minds made up regardless. No one knows what MS has planned for the next gen. It's just the same old stuff that happened the beginning of this gen I guess.

We will all end up listening to both sides since both will lay out their plans prior to both consoles launching.

If MS is serious about getting the hardcore gamer back they will let us all know sooner rather than later. We'll know tons well before console launch and will be able to make an informed decision based on the plans that Sony and MS lay out.

[Two4DaMoney]

lol...I don't think some will listen to that. It's clear they have their minds made up regardless. No one knows what MS has planned for the next gen. It's just the same old stuff that happened the beginning of this gen I guess.

Anyone not in denial can see that there's a legit reason to people reaction and its not all just pointless bashing or jumping the gun.

People have the right to question MS after how this gen turned out. Their focus clearly switched once they started the same 4 big budget i.p's in rotation.

People know that the 720 is going to have core titles but those same people also remember MS switching their focus with the 360. MS waited a few years to switch their focus. What's to say they don't do it again with the 720? That means some people are going to be waiting a few years to see the direction the 720 will go. And that's not hating or bashing. It all comes from MS own doings. It has nothing to do with Sony or people that prefer the sony console.

This talk mainly comes down to big budget exclusives. not live or kinect exclusives.

I agree but if that used game thing is true itll be damaging.

I had forgot all about that for a sec. I hope it isn't true.

[mynd]

Anyone not in denial can see that there's a legit reason to people reaction and its not all just pointless bashing or jumping the gun.

People have the right to question MS after how this gen turned out. Their focus clearly switched once they started the same 4 big budget i.p's in rotation.

People know that the 720 is going to have core titles but those same people also remember MS switching their focus with the 360. MS waited a few years to switch their focus. What's to say they don't do it again with the 720? That means some people are going to be waiting a few years to see the direction the 720 will go. And that's not hating or bashing. It all comes from MS own doings. It has nothing to do with Sony or people that prefer the sony console.

This talk mainly comes down to big budget exclusives. not live or kinect exclusives.

To me, from my perspective, at the beginning of each generation is the time to launch your new exclusives, I didint mind that MS stopped giving me new core gaming IP's in the past few years, because frankly, I cant get through the ones I have from third party.

At the beginning of each generation, you need to support your console with games, you need to show other developers "this is what you can do with it, this is how games should look, this is how we developed it".

Its important to note, that the first few years of the 360's development, you could find articles form every key exclusive developer passing on what they learned to third party.

Exclusives at the beginning of the generation are a necessity for a game console manufacturer if they want third party to jump on board, and obviously, they also help build up the core market in sales.

What concerns me, from both console manufacturers, is the fact that they are both very much "preaching to the converted", in their respective markets.
If you didn't find infamous, Killzone, Halo or Fable attractive enough last gen to go out and buy that other console, launching these isn't going make someone jump to the otherside either.

[Sufi]

Exactly! Bingo! No need of a thorough scientific study of hours played here. You got it perfectly right!

I said probably but there's no way to measure it. It's not that obvious if you look at the sales being about the same.

And well obviously, "fun" being subjective, can't be scientifically measured... There is not a scientific method to measure it... dear "Padawan"... just like "love", "hate", "stubbornness"... etc. Unless you want to enlighten me (again lol) and share how... ?

Yes, and that's why you poll people, lol...I understand you don't know much about statistics but come on now, trust in what I'm telling you.

There are several ways to conduct a study. You're thinking about taking brain scans to find out when it lights up, I'm telling you that you can just ask them and it would still be a scientific study.

By the way... It was obvious I was referring to hours played in my last paragraph. I know you got that one too. In case you didn't, well, I remark it now.


Great post mate!

Fun/hours, both would require a proper study to determine it, I already mentioned that in my earlier posts in case you missed. Great post yourself as well!

[Aquanox]

1. No you didn't say that. Haha. You said "That's probably" = "Yes that is correct, probably because..." There's absolutely no way you can twist that. You can change your mind, but that's not what you said back then.

2. "You're not good at statistics". - Answer: You're not good at understanding a question, you answer something you haven't been asked and you go even further by assuming the interlocutor doesn't know the answer. You would've saved yourself a lot of writing if you understood the real question. The question was (read carefully) I didn't know you could measure "fun".

First: Emotions like "Having Fun" can't be scientifically measured as of today. There are many projects for this, but in their very basic stages, and dealing with the subjective nature of the matter.

As for your answer workaround answer (which is not what I asked) NO. You can't objectify the subjective by just asking a person. You are suggesting that you would have an accurate, measurable result over an inaccurate, immeasurable, subjective source.

Yes the poll would accurately show what people said, but being this subjective and inaccurate, the result would suffer from the same. Want an accurate result? First and foremost make your source measurable. What you're suggesting is just a count of innacurate data. Useless.


3. For hours played, that's obvious and that IS measurable, but it's not required in this particular case, as you cleverly agreed at first.

[Sub-stance1]

To me, from my perspective, at the beginning of each generation is the time to launch your new exclusives, I didint mind that MS stopped giving me new core gaming IP's in the past few years, because frankly, I cant get through the ones I have from third party.

Same here. I didn't buy xbox360 until around 2008 so i'm still trying to catch up on some of the great games out there. And that's exclusives and 3rd party.

If you didn't find infamous, Killzone, Halo or Fable attractive enough last gen to go out and buy that other console, launching these isn't going make someone jump to the other side either.

I agree. I haven't seen or heard anything that's gonna make me pass on either console. At some point I will own both just like this gen. It's great that each have their 1st party heavy hitters but the majority of games that excite me are the 3rd party ones. I will be buying the next xbox first because I know that there will be something there that everyone in my home will enjoy. A mixture of core and casual along with a solid online service. I hardly have the time to devote to two consoles so I'll just stick to the one that has brought the most enjoyment for my household and the xbox has covered that pretty well.

[Soldier 95B]

Bummer that some found the Xbox not giving out awesome core exclusives at the end of the gen. Glad others like me got more and more. I hope that continues with the Xbox 3.

[Sub-stance1]

Bummer that some found the Xbox not giving out awesome core exclusives at the end of the gen. Glad others like me got more and more. I hope that continues with the Xbox 3.

I think it will. We will find out next month for sure. I'm interested in this rumored EA deal they have. I'm hoping for some Battlefield 4 or maybe Mirrors Edge 2.