Anyhoo...

The next generation seems to be shaping up to be similar as the current gen as far as multiplayer titles as my circle of friends are all going for the One.

Single player games will be determined mostly on the controller, and then if there is a better version on one system over the other.

Watch Dogs and AC IV: Black Flag are 2 games dependent on the above as Watch Dogs does not have the typical MP and my friends are not picking up AC IV: Black Flag right away if at all....

Oddly Single Player Games the DS controller doesn't bother me, just multi. I'm sure someone will come up with a good 360/One-style gamepad for it eventually.

Well played.

You know, it just occurred to me that MS is planning a worldwide (as apposed to a staggered) launch, and Sony just staked out 2 Fridays in November, so MS can't really launch on the 15th or the 29th without going head to head with the PS4 in either NA or Europe.

It seems to me that if they were going to announce a day that beats Sony to market in the US, they would have done it during that live...whatever that was...yesterday, and they obviously don't want any part of Thanksgiving weekend. It almost has to be the 22nd, right?

It isn't really worldwide though, they're releasing it in 21 places (US, UK, 19 others) but.. I got nothing, nevermind.

I just meant that they are planning to launch everywhere on the same day rather than staggering regions, and for clarification, it's 13 countries now with 8 of the original 21 being delayed.

The smartest thing for Microsoft to do IMO (assuming they CAN) would be to launch on 11/14.

How do you know they're launching the Xbox One in both NA and Europe on the same day? They've only stated that they're launching in both "in November." That allows for separate days within November.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ight-countries

You're right.

I don't know where I got that impression...sure it came from somewhere.

A $5 preorder doesn't mean they will come back and pay the remaining $495. Or that they won't return them after they can't flip them.

Bragging about preorders

And yet retail space for ODs has declined in recent years....so not sure how I was wrong.

No BC is a big deal. Now I couldn't trade in my 360 to get credit towards a X1 and continue playing my 360 games. Nope. Start from scratch. That'll effect the in the fence consumers.

For many places, the pre-order reserve amount is more than that, such as a 10% reserve ($40 & $50 for the PS4 and Xbox, respectively) at Walmart. Dedicating $40 and $50 would likely increase the commitment to actually buy the console on release for those pre-orders. Walmart is also allowing for a "pay as you go" system where it's basically consignment in advance. So plenty of pre-orders could have the entire system paid off when they go in to pick them up.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/wal...-24-2013-08-20

Is there any indication that a high percentage of pre-order customers either don't fulfill or return afterwards? I'm sure there's some, but it's likely a small percentage. Even if it's something like 10%, that's still 900,000 PS4s that will be bought and paid for, and Sony still has about 3 months to get more pre-orders.

You're wrong in assuming a given observation has a prescribed cause. The decline in retail space for Blu-ray/DVD could be because more and more purchases are being made online. I mean, Best Buy is in general an electronics store, and is struggling. Do you think that means that people aren't buying electronics anymore?

It'll have an effect, but it's really unclear whether it will be a "big" effect or not. the 360 barely had backwards compatibility, and MS abandoned it pretty quickly. Sony was able to gradually phase out PS2 BC on the PS3 without a consumer revolt. And while many consoles in the past have had BC, many others did not. BC is certainly something nice to have if possible, but it's hard to say what the impact is, and it's certainly presumptuous to think that a console will succeed of fail based on whether it has BC or not.

I'm gonna guess.... your ass...

I knew I didn't dream that up. Here's what MS actually said in their press release on the delay:
http://news.xbox.com/2013/08/xbox-one-confirmed-markets

Obviously, there are a couple of ways to interpret that, and I might have interpreted incorrectly, but I'll bet you can see where I'd get the impression that they were launching simultaneously.

I'm not your ass... you sick freak!

ohh.... deleted the post....

A Tale of Two Perspectives...Who Won Gamescom


GamesCom 2013: How Microsoft Won The Show

http://www.videogamer.com/features/a..._the_show.html


Sony's impressive strategy stole the show at Gamescom

http://www.gamespot.com/gamescom/son...escom-6413509/

I listen to the videogamer podcast every week because I generally find those dudes to be pretty funny, and I love their videos, but they are exceedingly pro-Xbox. I almost had to stop listening to them during the period between E3 and Mattrick leaving because they were in full on defense mode, and it was kind of embarrassing.

You can't really say "Pros like Dead Rising 3 (despite framerate issues)" "Cons - like Killzone and Drive Club which are just more of the same."

This sounded to fanboyist.

This was a little better.

But this comment won overall:

A little fail in not calling it Xbone though.

I really think the Gamespot guy is on to something here:

This contrast between this subtle and honest presentation and the insulting prepackaged schlock that Microsoft presented in their video yesterday can't be overstated.

Nevermind what any of us think about Sony or Microsoft or who has what bias. If you haven't watched Microsoft's video from yesterday, you really really should, because it speaks volumes about what they think of us.

http://tech.uk.msn.com/features/the-...-gamescom-live

For extra fun, take a drink every time Major Nelson's smile makes you uncomfortable.

Thanks for posting, didn't even know about it. - thought it was what I had already seen.

But, but there's no way both companies combined can outsell the 400k the WiiU did at launch. Consumers are disinterested in next gen. And tablets. There's going to be at least a 75% cancellation/return rate. And tablets.

Wait! The Wii U launched?

Don't really see the issue with a well produced video. I think you're stretching on that one chess.

What's the WiiU? Is that an add-on for the Wii?