Except it doesn't have shrinkwrap on it. May not come with the manual. Or Coverart. Might have scratches on it. Might not even work 30+ deep into a game.

But yeah, same exact thing.

It's still an item that was resold. Regardless of condition, they don't have the right to collect another fee on top of that. Get rid of the GameStops of the world and most people wouldn't have anywhere to trade games to.

How will Craigslist or eBay work? Half.com? Amazon?

Used books, Bds, DVDs & cds are the exact same product new and used and yet you still retain the right to do whatever you want with them.

So one of those articles mentions that MS/publisher cut is 10%. So we're talking $5. So instead of making it inconvenient to used buyers (buy buying a $5 license/code/online pass) we're going to make it ridiculously overcomplicated for every X1 owner.

I just realized that Microsoft, apparently, went "half" digital.

Some wondered if they would go all digital, download only. The problem of course is the infrastructure, although it somehow works for Steam. So this time they decided to have the workaround of selling the "bits", that's what they are calling it, in disc, so people with slow internet connections, or impatient, could have access to the games too.

I don't expect too many changes to prices. Ubisoft games will still go down in price really fast, COD games will be "expensive" for a long time, etc. The only difference is that you'll have to enter a digital code now.

And yeah, since EA abandoned their $10 plan, I'm almost sure the PS4 will manage used games almost the same. And maybe that's why EA (and most publishers?) said fuck you to Nintendo.

But you're okay with Toyota making money on something that was not their product? It sounds like this is just to eliminate the second hand bullshit like Gamestop. You'll still get something for getting rid of a game you don't want, and the only other party that makes money from it is the developer/publisher. Why should Gamestop get protected?

Seems normal, there's still physical retail games for PC games that you activate on Steam too. All the Call of Duty games on PC that I have came from physical disc, but activated on Steam and always downloadable if I want. Not surprising that console games would follow suit.

Yeah, in the other comparisons: books, cds, movies, etc. There's NO company earning billions every year selling used products.

I don't hate Gamestop, I will probably preorder my X1 from them, since there's one two blocks from home, but I think it's fine if the people that create the games get some money from that business.

I can't wait to see how much the 1tb hd accessory is going to cost. I didn't realize that all the games had to be installed in order to be able to play them.

The only thing I hate about gamestop is that they gut their games. I hate having to call around looking for a non gutted copy. If I am buying a new game, it should be sealed. I wonder if this new xbox system will cause them to stop gutting their games? Now customers have to actually worry that the games have already been installed instead of just used.

You can plug any external hard drive you want.

Unless you play 20 games at a time, you really shouldn't NEED a bigger HD. But they've said externals will be supported, so the 1TB HD accessory will cost however much a 1TB HD accessory will cost.

Here's the thing. What does Gamestop contribute to the industry? What do they make with their billions in profits? They make more Gamestops. If that money goes to publishers/developers, they'll make more games. I'd rather have more games, more diversity, more chances, etc. than more Gamestops.

Gamestop stock is currently down 8.66% this morning and continuing to fall.

I'm concerned with me getting protected. Currently, I can sell anywhere, anytime, to anybody. I can buy anywhere, anytime, from anybody. If I get stranded on Gilligan's Island, I can hook up my console to a pineapple battery and play my games.

Today, if Microsoft got nuked, my games would still work. Yesterday, if Microsoft got nuked, I would have shed a tear while I was playing. Tomorrow, if Microsoft gets nuked, everybody's screwed.

Ah, that's good to hear. That'll be a pretty cheap fix then.


Yeah, I collect video games and it's going to suck one day when we can no longer access the xbox one games since we can't play them off the physical disc.

Live for the moment.

Please take a 3 hour tour as soon as possible.

Pretty good recap of the conference:

Wow... that would be funny.... if it wasn't already posted days ago....

I sell all my games on ebay. i am not going to go get $3 store credit from Gamestop when I could get $20 on ebay. You can do very well selling used games on ebay. It looks like that is out the window now. MS can suck a big one.

Dammit! 1500 posts in here. I can't keep up!

Part of me feels bad for them, especially since no one knows how this will suss out. But then, fuck Gamestop!

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-achievements/

Microsoft seeks patent for TV Achievements
System would reward watching of content, plus Kinect interaction
Posted on Friday 24th May 2013 at 3:53 PM UTC

Microsoft has applied for a patent for an Xbox 360-like Achievements system for watching TV.

The patent application, which was filed last November and spotted by GamesIndustry International, reads: "Television viewing tends to be a passive experience for a viewer, without many opportunities for the viewer to engage or have interactive experiences with the presented content.

"To increase interactive viewing and encourage a user to watch one or more particular items of video content, awards and achievements may be tied to those items of video content.

"By tying the awards and achievements to particular items of video or advertising content, viewers may be encouraged to increase their viewership of the content, thus increasing advertising opportunities."

Achievements could be dished out for watching a single event such as the Super Bowl or viewing an entire series of a show, it adds.

Potential rewards include new avatar items, virtual money for a game, or even physical prizes.

Achievements could also be tied to viewers performing specific Kinect actions while watching content, Microsoft said.

At Tuesday's Xbox One reveal event, Marc Whitten, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Xbox Live, said that a new version of the online service will be "more powerful, more personal and more intelligent".

The new Xbox Live will offer enhanced cloud functionality, improved matchmaking, new social features, background downloads, skill tracking and an expanded achievements system, Microsoft added.

Exactly. Yep, even though few people will admit, the United States was born on capitalism or the idea that hey, if Y buys the good from X, and then Y can turn right around and sell that good to Z. No matter what that good is. It can be a piece of jewelry, a car, or even food in some cases. From A to B to C. Each item might be designed or created by somebody else, but there are always middle men. This extends to media as well, but somewhere in the cycle...certain people thought they were different. Especially video games where they think they are owed something after the initial sale.

This has become increasingly prevalent during this generation when we have seen online passes and other sorts of "drm" type activities that do nothing to punish a consumer who wants to buy second hand in order to save themselves a few dollars. The same practice that happens in cars, furniture, or a clothes dryer. Now, we have the Xbox One which it appears is going one step further.

Game companies are no different from other companies, they aren't owed something extra after the sale. But then people are like, well Gamestop has no right to make money off the games that other people make, yadda yadda Gamestop is the devil. While, I don't really care for Gamestop either way, all they figured out to do was having the ability to sell Used games better than everybody else. Right or Wrong. But there are other companies who sell used games, Ma&Pop Stores (I have a couple of awesome ones here), as well as your local Hastings or Half Price Books. I don't have issues with those establishments, so I choose to shop there instead. In fact, I have not stepped foot in a Gamestop for at least a year. Good decent people work at many of those places who have a right to make a living.

So now we are sitting at the foot of no used games or at best, a system that makes the consumer jump through hoops if they wish to get rid of their used games or play one. In fact, all we are really doing is punishing the consumer, in most cases the faithful consumer who has played games for X number of years.

On a personal note to end this rant, I hope to publish a few books someday. I fully hope that my books are sold and resold into eternity. And I will never complain that the Half Price Books down the street is selling my book for $9.95 (or even a $1.00 if they choose) instead of full price. In fact, I might just offer to sign a couple of copies. I'm sure I could go on longer ranting about this, but I'm pretty close to done. Darn shame too.

Seriously?! An achievement for watching TV, good f'ing lord. Maybe next we can have an achievement for going to work. Let's see, I go to work 5 days a week, drive 120 miles round trip and work about 9 hours each day. That ought to be worth at least 100 gamerscore. Or perhaps I can get one for getting the heck out of bed and brushing my teeth. Good lord, just stop, please...

It makes sense to me, doesn't seem any sillier then the other lengths people go through to get achievements for games.