Xbox One on the way. DRM removed, more details to come.

[aptanor]

Back to the download speed issues mentioned above, I do have pretty horrendous dl speeds on my ps3, probably largely because my internet is absolute crap, but I wonder how much of that is an issue with the console itself. I assume the ps3 and Vita download from the same servers, but downloads on my vita take less then half an hour for a 1-2 gb game, while the same download can take three times that long on my ps3.

 

[kill3r7]

Back to the download speed issues mentioned above, I do have pretty horrendous dl speeds on my ps3, probably largely because my internet is absolute crap, but I wonder how much of that is an issue with the console itself. I assume the ps3 and Vita download from the same servers, but downloads on my vita take less then half an hour for a 1-2 gb game, while the same download can take three times that long on my ps3.



It's the PS3. Mine is wired to the router and I still get terrible D/L times. Meanwhile on the Vita I downloaded MK which is 3GB and that took less than 30min.

 

[aptanor]

I wonder if certain models are worse as well. I never remembered having such issues on my fat 40 gig which died, but the slim I have now is terrible. I always thought it was because I had moved and changed ISPs between getting them, but I wonder if it's the new system's fault. Would also explain why some people seem to have major issues and some have none.

 

[Ashane]

One of them even told me that he was able to "sell" his wife on acquiring an XBox One because of its ability to be controlled by voice.

That was me when they unveiled the system as well. My wife is bonkers for that feature. Usually I have to do something in return for my hobby, get her a nice piece of jewelry or something in return. This time she even shocked me by saying I don't have to wait till Christmas, we can just buy it and unpack it immediately.

I understand hard core gamers dislike of the Kinect though. To them it's taking away what makes games fun for them and they are fearful (rightfully so) of Kinect 2.0 having a much bigger presence in their gaming.

Personally, I think of it like when Ventrilo and other voice chat programs first came out for PC. I was distrustful, really did not feel I needed to do that, it was just bullshit. Now I could not imagine playing on PC without TS3/Vent.

 

[thenutman69321]

I can't picture a point where motion becomes as essential as voice chat.  Good old fashion controller will always do it for me.  I own a Wii and have not turned it on in at least 3 years I really see motion as nothing more than a passing gimmick.

As long as they keep Kinect optional on most games I'll be good with it.  I don't like having to buy it but I really don't want to be forced to use it.  When I keep seeing articles about it worming it's way into games like MGS though it definitely makes me worried.  The casual market can have their Kinect just please don't force it on the rest of us.

 

[Richard Kain]

I understand hard core gamers dislike of the Kinect though. To them it's taking away what makes games fun for them and they are fearful (rightfully so) of Kinect 2.0 having a much bigger presence in their gaming.

I think part of what's happened is that Microsoft sat down, looked at the numbers they had available to them, and determined that the market for media-focused users was much bigger than pure game users. The demographics of the people I have spoken with bear this out. Many of them are lapsed gamers, individuals who used to play games more regularly, but have reached a point in their lives where they don't have as much time for this hobby. For such people, games as a peripheral feature to a media-focused box isn't a bad idea.

Another issue is how badly cable companies and TV manufacturers have dropped the ball on interfaces. Navigating channel options is no different for most people now than it was fifteen years ago. The vocal controls on the XBox One are something that the PS4 could eventually replicate. But the cable integration and HDMI pass-through are an exclusive feature that the PS4 won't be able to provide without a major hardware revision. And offering vastly improved channel navigation and programming search abilities could be Microsoft's way of Trojan-horsing the XBox One into homes.

 

[WV Matsui]

I think part of what's happened is that Microsoft sat down, looked at the numbers they had available to them, and determined that the market for media-focused users was much bigger than pure game users. The demographics of the people I have spoken with bear this out. Many of them are lapsed gamers, individuals who used to play games more regularly, but have reached a point in their lives where they don't have as much time for this hobby. For such people, games as a peripheral feature to a media-focused box isn't a bad idea.

Another issue is how badly cable companies and TV manufacturers have dropped the ball on interfaces. Navigating channel options is no different for most people now than it was fifteen years ago. The vocal controls on the XBox One are something that the PS4 could eventually replicate. But the cable integration and HDMI pass-through are an exclusive feature that the PS4 won't be able to provide without a major hardware revision. And offering vastly improved channel navigation and programming search abilities could be Microsoft's way of Trojan-horsing the XBox One into homes.



This is exactly where I am. I use my 360 and PS3 for games about 40% of the time. The other 60% I am watching movies, BluRay's, live events etc.

 

[lowgear26]

Well doesn't that speak to a huge potential pending issue though similar to the Wii where no one could make money? Add to that, Nintendo sold the Wii at a profit, MS is selling the Xbox One at a loss (apparently "THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS" of loss). They need to sell more than just COD and Madden if they don't want to take a huge financial bath on this. Though admittedly they could probably afford to, it just won't look good for their investors when the want to launch Xbox 2 r whatever you want to call it.

Wait.....you say "THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS of loss" I hope you don't mean a single console

please explain

 

[ShockandAww]

And no folks from your camp aren't here to discuss things they like and don't...just to bash. What is the point? Do you get a trophy from Sony for standing up for them on the Internet? I just don't get it. I am not all up in the PS4 thread all the time stating why I'm not getting one. I have posted in there but mostly articles and pictures.

I'll continue to talk as much shit as possible about the Xbox because that's how I feel about it as long as there's a mandatory Kinect. Also I don't trust MS for a second with their policies. The NSA will use this shit to illegally spy on you, there's a guy that exposed this type of thing running around the world for his life, and so many people don't give a shit because Xbox. It makes me mad and sad for the future.

So really I have nothing against the device itself, I like the Kinect and hope they come up with some great games for it, it has absolutely nothing to do with Sony vs MS (though I do still think PS4 is the smarter choice), and some day if they make the Kinect optional I'll also be buying one.

 

[thenutman69321]

The NSA will use this shit to illegally spy on you, there's a guy that exposed this type of thing running around the world for his life, and so many people don't give a shit because Xbox. It makes me mad and sad for the future.

You can just about guarantee that at some point some government agency will watch someone somewhere through the Kinect (or maybe already has) but saying they will spy on all of us specifically is going off the deep end into tin foil hat territory.

 

[Erad30]

Wait.....you say "THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS of loss" I hope you don't mean a single console

please explain

It was something Don Mattrick said, basically saying the Xbox one is a bargain because they are delivering "thousands of dollars worth of value".

 

[ShockandAww]

You can just about guarantee that at some point some government agency will watch someone somewhere through the Kinect (or maybe already has) but saying they will spy on all of us specifically is going off the deep end into tin foil hat territory.

I feel the way I do because of the evidence available. So I don't really know what to say other than I think you're absolutely wrong, and the government is doing/will do anything and everything technologically possible to collect and store as much data as it possibly can.

You also have to think, WHY are they doing this? Why would a government spy on it's own people? What's the end goal? To catch some "terrorists"? Nope, I personally don't believe that excuse for a second and it feels like an insult to my intelligence to give that as the reason. If you believe Snowden, then why do you think they're doing this? If you don't believe any of this then I don't know what to tell you other than I feel you're wrong and at least a small part of the problem.

 

[WV Matsui]

I'll continue to talk as much shit as possible about the Xbox because that's how I feel about it as long as there's a mandatory Kinect. Also I don't trust MS for a second with their policies. The NSA will use this shit to illegally spy on you, there's a guy that exposed this type of thing running around the world for his life, and so many people don't give a shit because Xbox. It makes me mad and sad for the future.

So really I have nothing against the device itself, I like the Kinect and hope they come up with some great games for it, it has absolutely nothing to do with Sony vs MS (though I do still think PS4 is the smarter choice), and some day if they make the Kinect optional I'll also be buying one.



Seriously how old are you? What's this tin foil, Edward Snowden crap about the Kinect. Do you not use a cell phone, social media, the Internet? Do you not think the government can read everything you are writing right now? Give me a break with worrying about the kinect. Of you are that worried about your identity and the government then you may want to move to Canada.

 

[WV Matsui]

It was something Don Mattrick said, basically saying the Xbox one is a bargain because they are delivering "thousands of dollars worth of value".



Doesn't meant they are selling this at a loss. So if you quote it that way be able to back it up. You were just trying at a poor excuse for another jab.

 

[Ashane]

I feel the way I do because of the evidence available. So I don't really know what to say other than I think you're absolutely wrong, and the government is doing/will do anything and everything technologically possible to collect and store as much data as it possibly can.

You also have to think, WHY are they doing this? Why would a government spy on it's own people? What's the end goal? To catch some "terrorists"? Nope, I personally don't believe that excuse for a second and it feels like an insult to my intelligence to give that as the reason. If you believe Snowden, then why do you think they're doing this? If you don't believe any of this then I don't know what to tell you other than I feel you're wrong and at least a small part of the problem.

Your talking on the internet. Odds are, you have a land line phone or a cell phone. I'd bet you use email as well.

Protip: The government already knows all your sh^t. They do not *need* a Kinect to spy on you, not when they can listen to any call on the planet as easy as pressing "play".

Welcome to Watch Dogs. Enjoy your stay.

 

[WV Matsui]

Your talking on the internet. Odds are, you have a land line phone or a cell phone. I'd bet you use email as well.

Protip: The government already knows all your sh^t. They do not *need* a Kinect to spy on you, not when they can listen to any call on the planet as easy as pressing "play".

Welcome to Watch Dogs. Enjoy your stay.



Exactly! If you think the only way the government is going to know what you are doing is through a Kinect your nuts. And are you also assuming that MS is requiring the Kinect because they are working with the government? That's even more hilarious!

 

[io]

The spy agencies are overwhelmed with data.  They don't have enough analysts to look at individual feeds/phone calls/emails unless there is specific reason to do so.  Even if you assume the worst and they have access to Kinect (which I would doubt, actually),  I really don't think they'd want to watch some Xbro eating Cheetos on his couch and playing CoD.  There are legitimate concerns over the data collection (though note it has been going on for a while and is nothing new like everyone seems to think it is).  But for the most part, it is "metadata" - looking for connections and patterns and stuff.  That is only because of my first point - there aren't enough hours in this century to process all the data already collected to this point.  It is silly to worry about general surveillance.  Now, if you are specifically a target for other reasons, then, yeah, sure, you might be worried as they could pinpoint any particular person with whatever level of snooping they want - but as the others have said, they can do that with plenty of other methods too.

I'm more worried about the corporate use of data from the Kinect - like targeting advertising or monitoring of household habits for market research.  That creeps me out 100x more than the nebulous "gummint" spying does.  And Microsoft could make money from this sort of thing so it is much more likely to get abused in that way than it is by the government.

 

[ShockandAww]

Seriously how old are you? What's this tin foil, Edward Snowden crap about the Kinect. Do you not use a cell phone, social media, the Internet? Do you not think the government can read everything you are writing right now? Give me a break with worrying about the kinect. Of you are that worried about your identity and the government then you may want to move to Canada.

MS is a big part of the PRISM program. Is it that far of a stretch to think that they will/do use it on US citizens (seeing as all these companies known to be involved are US based...) and that by extension the Kinect won't be a tool that they'd also utilize for data collection? Do you not believe what has come out? Are you ignorant of what has come out? And I'm not at all worried about any info they collect on me, I'm worried about the people that will have to deal with everything later.

I guess if you believe they're only spying on the foreign terrorists, that's where this argument has to stop. I'd simply disagree since I do not believe that's the case. I think they're spying/collecting data on you and I. So if you agree with that, why would you think cell phones and computers are used but suddenly Kinect goes over into tinfoil hat territory? That's not even logical to me. Kinect could be the best tool yet for some types of data collection.

Shrug. Look back 10 years or so and all of this was nutty tinfoil hat conspiracy crap to most. OMG they have secret prisons and theyre spying on us through our phones hahaha. Now look ahead 10 years and see where this is going.

 

[Erad30]

Doesn't meant they are selling this at a loss. So if you quote it that way be able to back it up. You were just trying at a poor excuse for another jab.

To my knowledge nearly all consoles are sold at a loss initially, the only one who has a history of selling them at a profit right out the gate is Nintendo and even they aren't doing that with the Wii U.

 

[aptanor]

Doesn't meant they are selling this at a loss. So if you quote it that way be able to back it up. You were just trying at a poor excuse for another jab.

If you're so insistent that nobody argue, why do you constantly try to create an argument by trying to defend against any would-be "jabbers"? Why does it even matter to you if someone says something negative about the XBone, especially when they're just making fun of a silly comment someone at MS made? IIRC MS has always sold their consoles at a loss and made up for it by charging for gold and producing their own software, so we can assume this generation will be no different.

Also, I'm with S&A, the whole NSA fiasco gives me the heeby jeebys, and not because I walk around in my underwear all day. While I don't think putting a government spying tool in as many homes as possible was the reason for including the kinect, I definitely think it can and probably will be used in that way, and not even necessarily just by the government. I believe someone earlier in this thread mentioned that they cover their webcam up because there are sites dedicated to videos people have recorded from hacking into webcamsg Would this be possible with the XBone? Could random hackers be watching you, or worse your family? Who knows. I'm sure nobody wants to watch you sit on the couch and eat Doritos, but do they want to know when your not home? All of this may sound like "tinfoil hat" stuff to some of you, though I doubt you'd be as quick to dismiss it if you didn't believe so thoroughly and steadfastly in MS.

 

[dmaul1114]

I think part of what's happened is that Microsoft sat down, looked at the numbers they had available to them, and determined that the market for media-focused users was much bigger than pure game users. The demographics of the people I have spoken with bear this out. Many of them are lapsed gamers, individuals who used to play games more regularly, but have reached a point in their lives where they don't have as much time for this hobby. For such people, games as a peripheral feature to a media-focused box isn't a bad idea.

Another issue is how badly cable companies and TV manufacturers have dropped the ball on interfaces. Navigating channel options is no different for most people now than it was fifteen years ago. The vocal controls on the XBox One are something that the PS4 could eventually replicate. But the cable integration and HDMI pass-through are an exclusive feature that the PS4 won't be able to provide without a major hardware revision. And offering vastly improved channel navigation and programming search abilities could be Microsoft's way of Trojan-horsing the XBox One into homes.

Part of the issue with going after that though, is that a lot of those people just quit gaming.

With DVRs like the Xfinity X1 update coming out that adds this type of voice control to DVRs, such people won't have any reason to buy a $500 console when they know they'll do little or no gaming since they can just use a DVR they probably already pay a monthly fee for anyway (and would have to keep paying since the X1 just controls a cable/sat box and can't replace it).

Much less when we start seeing devices like Roku add in voice control.

I mean, sure, there's a market of casual gamers who don't game a ton and spend more time on movies, shows etc. who may be more likely to buy an X1 than a PS4 because of the media stuff. I'm just not convinced that's a huge market--but only time will tell.

In any case, I'm glad Sony is sticking with focusing mostly on games and not adding in a bunch of new media stuff, not forcing a camera in every bundle etc. so I at least have one non-Nintendo option for a more traditional console with regular controls in every game etc.

 

[Gamer4life88]

This isn't the 1950s where the man's working and the wife is staying home. Most couples are both people working, sharing all the bills and sharing a budget, retirement plan and so on. And most relationships aren't going to work if one or the other is going out and making big purchases (like a $500 console, plus games and accessories) without discussing it first.

Or maybe he's just whipped?

"Usually I have to do something in return for my hobby, get her a nice piece of jewelry or something in return."

 

[highoffcoffee496]

I'll continue to talk as much shit as possible about the Xbox because that's how I feel about it as long as there's a mandatory Kinect. Also I don't trust MS for a second with their policies. The NSA will use this shit to illegally spy on you, there's a guy that exposed this type of thing running around the world for his life, and so many people don't give a shit because Xbox. It makes me mad and sad for the future.

MS is a big part of the PRISM program. Is it that far of a stretch to think that they will/do use it on US citizens (seeing as all these companies known to be involved are US based...) and that by extension the Kinect won't be a tool that they'd also utilize for data collection? Do you not believe what has come out? Are you ignorant of what has come out? And I'm not at all worried about any info they collect on me, I'm worried about the people that will have to deal with everything later.

I guess if you believe they're only spying on the foreign terrorists, that's where this argument has to stop. I'd simply disagree since I do not believe that's the case. I think they're spying/collecting data on you and I. So if you agree with that, why would you think cell phones and computers are used but suddenly Kinect goes over into tinfoil hat territory? That's not even logical to me. Kinect could be the best tool yet for some types of data collection.

Shrug. Look back 10 years or so and all of this was nutty tinfoil hat conspiracy crap to most. OMG they have secret prisons and theyre spying on us through our phones hahaha. Now look ahead 10 years and see where this is going.

 

[lowgear26]

Microsoft will NOT use the KINECT to spy on people. Yes they are involved with the NSA spying but Microsoft is dead as a company if it's ever found out a physical product that they put in the home is spying on you without your knowledge. 

It's one this for server data to be used but its a totally different thing if a console is ever used. It won't happen because they will lose a shit ton of money and Microsoft likes profit more that watching you masturbate on your couch to Full House reruns. 

 

[Erad30]

See this is what I was more worried about with Kinect, and it's true:

Thu, Jul 04, 2013 | 12:58 BST

Xbox One built with advertising in mind, Kinect integral to next-gen adverts
Xbox One was designed with advertising in mind, members of the Xbox Live advertising team have confirmed.

Speaking with StickTwiddlers, a number of Microsoft staffers in the Xbox Live advertising division have shed light on the lessons learned through Xbox 360 adverts, and how this will be applied in Xbox One. It also places Kinect as a key part of the strategy.

Confirming that Kinect will use voice and facial recognition to tailor adverts on your console, one unnamed technical account manager said, “With the new Xbox One, the technology and Kinect has improved a lot, so that actually the voice recognition, the way you speak to your Xbox and the transition between gaming and watching TV is a lot smoother, and hopefully we can transpire [sic] that into advertising that we do.”

The strategy goes hand-in-hand with Microsoft’s ‘Nuads’ campaign, which resulted in adverts that housed interactive polls, as a way of making users feel like they were participating in adverts, rather than absorbing them passively.

The Microsoft employee added that Nuads, “transform passive TV advertising into something interactive, immersive, and actionable, redefining the relationship between consumers and brands with amazing new advertising opportunities”.

While this might all sound intrusive and that Kinect is spying on users to sell them products, one of the Microsoft employees stressed that the company does not want the technology and its customers to be abused. However, the volume of data captured by Microsoft and advertisers via Kinect is said to be significantly lower than the information recorded by game developers.

“This sort of works at two levels,” the Microsoft employee added. “There’s the game producers who have a different API, so a different set of code and system that they use, and they’ve got a lot more control of the whole thing, whereas from the advertising point of view we have a slightly more limited set, which is designed to protect the user. The company is very keen on protecting the user from any sort of abuse so we can’t do certain things.”

Because Microsoft is wanting to move Xbox One into the living room of families using Kinect, the device can – for example – recognise when there are many people in a room, and target adverts to families and people of varying ages.

Microsoft’s Senior Digital Art Director/UX Designer explained, “Xbox is moving more outside of the bedroom. We’re seeing much, much more people use it in living rooms where there is family, friends, there is lots going on, so there is a context of perceiving the content.

“It’s not like when you’re at work when you sit in front of a screen and your experience is very personal. But with Xbox, it’s lots of people in front of once big screen. They are playing or watching together and advertising is being consumed in a totally different way.”

They added, “On Xbox, the ad is part of the actual experience, it’s not something that is outside. The only difference is that the advertisement we have is quite small and not disruptive so people are not aware of clicking on the banners because they know this is a part of the whole experience on the dash.

“So the users know that this is something that when they click on it, they won’t be hit by something crazy or something dangerous like on the web. Everything that lands there, we create.”

One source called the development of adverts for Xbox One “exciting”, because, “the 360 console wasn’t built with advertising in mind, it was more of an afterthought, so we’ve had to adapt to the technology and how we work to fit them in to the console, whereas this new one is going to have advertising in mind.

“So a lot of the limitations that we have now, hopefully the release of the boundaries will widened so the opportunities will be a lot greater.”

What do you make of Microsoft’s attempts to target adverts to players using Kinect? Let us know below.

Thanks NowGamer and OXM.

Essentially ads will be so much worse now...

 

[WV Matsui]

Erad you're not buying one so what does it matter to you?

You don't think your amazon orders are tracked? You don't think by using your RZ card at Best Buy its not tracked? By using a loyalty card at the grocery store it's not tracked?

Folks really think that what they do isn't already tracked or listened to?

I'm in marketing and I can tell you that the data we have us overwhelming.

You guys might as well move into a bunker somewhere.

 

[Ashane]

Or maybe he's just whipped?

"Usually I have to do something in return for my hobby, get her a nice piece of jewelry or something in return."

In such a good way sir.. in such a good way \o/

 

[ShockandAww]

Microsoft will NOT use the KINECT to spy on people. Yes they are involved with the NSA spying but Microsoft is dead as a company if it's ever found out a physical product that they put in the home is spying on you without your knowledge.

It's one this for server data to be used but its a totally different thing if a console is ever used. It won't happen because they will lose a shit ton of money and Microsoft likes profit more that watching you masturbate on your couch to Full House reruns.

What I'll assume you mean is you don't think they will use it to spy on people, and I disagree. You have seen what the NSA is collecting right? The answer is everything it can. Please read more about it if you don't know. If they can use the Kinect, they will imo. MS wouldn't fail as a company even if they told us they were working with the NSA to collect data. People are too apathetic. At worst the product would fail, not the company.

And think bigger and broader about this spying. Think about a game where you have these kinds of powers. What would you use them for? Sure you might be a perv and watch someone masturbate but that isn't the point of it. That's just a side mission to waste some time. I think there's much bigger overall goals. A bigger overall story.

 

[Gamer4life88]

I'm not a fan of Kinect but I think the whole spying thing is a bit silly IMO.

In such a good way sir.. in such a good way \o/

Congratulations on your wife letting you unpack your new Xbox One Immediately like a good boy, would have sucked if you had to wait until Christmas...Ugh I'm never getting married, and thanks mods for deleting my other post I appreciate it.

 

[Erad30]

Erad you're not buying one so what does it matter to you?

You don't think your amazon orders are tracked? You don't think by using your RZ card at Best Buy its not tracked? By using a loyalty card at the grocery store it's not tracked?

Folks really think that what they do isn't already tracked or listened to?

I'm in marketing and I can tell you that the data we have us overwhelming.

You guys might as well move into a bunker somewhere.

1, I have repeatedly said that I most likely getting one at some point now, much like the PS4 it'll just have to have a library and price I find attractive. Given the variety of first-party titles that appeal to me personally and lower price, Sony is more likely to get my money first.

2. The cards are a bad comparison. I pay nothing for them and they are not used to shove ads in my face when I turn on my console. They are pretty much used to see what sells and what doesn't and I can shop at Best Buy or virtually any store aside from Costco/Sam's club without that membership if I choose. It's very different. And If I'm going to amazon, that's a storefront where I'm most likely looking for something to buy. I'm not paying a substantial amount of money on a product plus a yearly subscription (because frankly the Xbox One is going to be fairly useless without one it seems) to get blasted with ads every time I turn it on. The 360 is pretty bad about this now.

 

[thenutman69321]

Arguing about video games with people I don't agree with is one thing at least they make sense sometimes and usually talk about factual things.

*looks in mirror*

Don't engage the crazies and conspiracy theorists Nutman.  There is no arguing with people who are probably mentally ill

*ignores ShockandAww*

 

[Monsta Mack]

I thought the Kinect sensor could be silenced? Honestly wouldn't surprise me if it could outright be unplugged.

If your worried about people spying on you, I hope your windows in your house are to the point no one can even peek in, and all your walls have been inspected for microphones.

Also I wouldn't talk on your cell phone, forget about posting on the internet or writing e-mails.

I shred my mail/shipping labels at home and try to do my part for identity theft, but at this point It's a futile battle against the US government  when it comes to spying.

Anyways, most of the people who talk shit about the Xbox 1 are going to buy one anyways. It's just a matter of when the price is right enough for them. 

Make the games good, and they will come.

 

[dmaul1114]

Yeah, I'm not at all worried about spying, tracking etc.  I'm not that obsessed with my privacy. I live in a high rise condo and have a great view from the 21st story so my blinds are always open everywhere but the bedroom--and there's another tower right across/to the right of my balcony so lots of people can see into my living room and office and I don't give a crap.

It's the motion control non-sense that makes me hate Kinect. I want no motion control, no gestures, no voice commands etc. in my games.  Even minor stuff like waggling to spin in Mario Galaxy annoyed the shit out of me.  So I just worry it being packed in will lead to a  lot of games requiring gestures and/or voice commands.  If that isn't the case, and it ends up option outside of Kinect specific games, then I'll consider picking up an X1 down the road if I'm gaming more and can justify a 2nd console.

 

[lowgear26]

What I'll assume you mean is you don't think they will use it to spy on people, and I disagree. You have seen what the NSA is collecting right? The answer is everything it can. Please read more about it if you don't know. If they can use the Kinect, they will imo. MS wouldn't fail as a company even if they told us they were working with the NSA to collect data. People are too apathetic. At worst the product would fail, not the company.

And think bigger and broader about this spying. Think about a game where you have these kinds of powers. What would you use them for? Sure you might be a perv and watch someone masturbate but that isn't the point of it. That's just a side mission to waste some time. I think there's much bigger overall goals. A bigger overall story.

No....what I mean is they WON'T use it to spy on people. (for anything than marketing)

What happens when there is a story of a massive drug bust and they go to trial and have data gained from a Kinect? Microsoft will not have a video game business because people wont keep that shit in their houses.

Data mining is one thing and phone calls are one thing but this is an entertainment device. It wont be used to watch you in your home.

 

[Mako1215]

Yeah, I'm not at all worried about spying, tracking etc. I'm not that obsessed with my privacy. I live in a high rise condo and have a great view from the 21st storyso my blinds are always open everywhere but the bedroom--and there's another tower right across/to the right of my balcony so lots of people can see into my living room and office and I don't give a crap.

It's the motion control non-sense that makes me hate Kinect. I want no motion control, no gestures, no voice commands etc. in my games. Even minor stuff like waggling to spin in Mario Galaxy annoyed the shit out of me. So I just worry it being packed in will lead to a lot of games requiring gestures and/or voice commands. If that isn't the case, and it ends up option outside of Kinect specific games, then I'll consider picking up an X1 down the road if I'm gaming more and can justify a 2nd console.



Panic attacks 24/7 for me lol

 

[lowgear26]

being on CAG, people should realize that they put al this info online for the government to take anyway......why panic about the Kinect suddenly when being on here talking about it has already gotten you busted in reality.

 

[ShockandAww]

Arguing about video games with people I don't agree with is one thing at least they make sense sometimes and usually talk about factual things.

*looks in mirror*

Don't engage the crazies and conspiracy theorists Nutman. There is no arguing with people who are probably mentally ill

*ignores ShockandAww*

I'm really not even a conspiracy theorist for the most part. I don't think 9/11 was an inside job (where's the evidence?) I don't believe we're being visited by aliens...none of that. What I do believe though is that the NSA is spying (there's clear evidence and admissions of it) and following that plus looking at history I logically believe that they would use something like Kinect as a tool. It's really not a stretch at all imo.

Anyway no point in arguing this right now with no evidence. If it happens it'll come in time.

 

[WV Matsui]

Dude you really are nuts

 

[Erad30]

Well if this happens with the Xbox One then maybe he has a point:

 

[Blaster man]

Honestly, there's a huge difference between having windows open which requires someone to be physically present to watch and Kinect which could potentially record video and audio 24/7. The problem with recording info is lets say someone decides you're a problem, they can then look at everything you've said and done in your living room for years. We're making assumptions that because people would not abuse power now that it would never happen. Imagine the out of context statements they could use to "prove" the case.

The real problem here isn't that all of our lives will be recorded by Kinect, it's that there's no good reason for it. Why can't the ing thing be unplugged?

 

[Ashane]

The real problem here isn't that all of our lives will be recorded by Kinect, it's that there's no good reason for it. Why can't the ing thing be unplugged?

No, that's where your 100% dead wrong.

The real problem is that they have the right to record anything a US Citizen does without due process. It certainly is not Microsoft's fault. Didn't anyone read what happened to yahoo when they tried to say no? They were court ordered to hand over the information, or else. This was not something you could say "no" to, this was and is sweeping powers given to the NSA and other organizations from senate, congress and potus. (Even before obama)

How about we actually deal with the real problem at hand, and then you will not have to worry about Kinect? Unless your writing your senators, congressmen etc... then it honestly does not concern you as much as you think it might. (Note, this isnt in specific to you blaster, just in general to those that are really bothered about it)

Personally, I'm fine with it. It was legal, it was passed by all branches of government, and hey, that's who we elected. While I might not have checked the box for their name(s) that passed these bills, enough people did so.. that's how it goes.

 

[Sir_Fragalot]

If MS really wants me to buy a Xbox One, then they need to buy Atlus. Right now, as it stands there isn't anything that says I need a XBox One.

Nothing against the Xbox, I am sure it will be great besides the Kinect which will turn into the Wii Gamepad of lets start putting motion controls where it doesn't belong. I don't need motion controls, I need developers to spend time making gamepad controls that work. Now the spying thing, I use Windows so it's no different because chances are Microsoft probably sends my data through Windows anyway.

 

[aptanor]

If MS really wants me to buy a Xbox One, then they need to buy Atlus.

I was going to say "Oh God please no," but then I remembered MS doesn't even see any part of Asia as a possible market, so why would they be buying a jrpg developer?

 

[Monsta Mack]

@ShockandAww

Did you seriously quote a guy who just said he was going to put you on his ignore list?

 

[Jimmienoman]

That was me when they unveiled the system as well. My wife is bonkers for that feature. Usually I have to do something in return for my hobby, get her a nice piece of jewelry or something in return. This time she even shocked me by saying I don't have to wait till Christmas, we can just buy it and unpack it immediately.

I understand hard core gamers dislike of the Kinect though. To them it's taking away what makes games fun for them and they are fearful (rightfully so) of Kinect 2.0 having a much bigger presence in their gaming.

Personally, I think of it like when Ventrilo and other voice chat programs first came out for PC. I was distrustful, really did not feel I needed to do that, it was just bullshit. Now I could not imagine playing on PC without TS3/Vent.

She just wants that feature so when she gets mad she can just say "Turn that XBOX OFF" on "accident".

 

[Erad30]

I'm telling you there are going to be murders over that.

 

[WV Matsui]

I'm telling you there are going to be murders over that.

its already been confirmed that won't be possible.

 

[Erad30]

its already been confirmed that won't be possible.

Do you actually have a source for this? Quote, article, tweet, anything? I'm genuinely asking here because I've looked for specifics on how the voice recognition can differentiate and haven't found anything. Or is "Xbox Off" not an option, which would seem against their huge Kinect push since turning a console off the "old-fashioned" way seems like something they want to avoid.

 

[Ashane]

Do you actually have a source for this? Quote, article, tweet, anything? I'm genuinely asking here because I've looked for specifics on how the voice recognition can differentiate and haven't found anything. Or is "Xbox Off" not an option, which would seem against their huge Kinect push since turning a console off the "old-fashioned" way seems like something they want to avoid.

I'm not sure I've seen a link to them saying that par say.. however, they have said that it has voice recognition on it, and that it will not track a voice if it cannot see the person, or their head is turned away from the TV.

You also have to be logged into the system, not a "guest", as in one demo the guest could not give it commands, only the active users.

Maybe Matsui has some source, but that's what I've gathered from watching all the Kinect tech demo's and reading about it via the various outlets testing the system.

......

Unrelated note: LOL at this video...

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/07/05/xbox-one-vs-playstation-4-what-does-the-public-say.aspx

 

[WV Matsui]

I'm not sure I've seen a link to them saying that par say.. however, they have said that it has voice recognition on it, and that it will not track a voice if it cannot see the person, or their head is turned away from the TV.

You also have to be logged into the system, not a "guest", as in one demo the guest could not give it commands, only the active users.

Maybe Matsui has some source, but that's what I've gathered from watching all the Kinect tech demo's and reading about it via the various outlets testing the system.



It was in the tech demo video that I posted a week or two ago. The guy showing off the tech explains it when showing the voice and controller recognition. That with the advanced facial & voice recognition they will be able to tell who's signed in and then correlate that with the voice and then launch the "Xbox off" command. I'll dig the video up tonight.

Oh then it will fire off an email to the NSA telling them what you had for lunch and to Fubu telling them you like their red shirt and on Wednesdays Edward Snowden will get an email report of your last 7 days activity.

http://m.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/10-overlooked-xbox-one-features-you-should-know-about-1160781

The Kinect is literally rocket science. And I know I get shit for it but I am a huge supporter of it and the 100% install base for the X1.

3. Kinect included means 100% of people have it

Here's another added benefit of the Kinect: it comes with the system out of the box, whereas the PlayStation 4 camera does not.

That means 100 percent of Xbox One owners will also own a Kinect 2.0. What percentage of PS4 owners are going to purchase the $60 (about UK£39, AU$65) camera add-on?

History has shown that PS3's Move controllers (generously counting people who bought more than one Move wand more than once) amounted to about 4.7 percent of overall PS3 owners as of late last year.

Are developers really going to cater to a similar 4.7 percent of the PS4 user base? Sony is likely to encourage it, so maybe there'll be some features thrown its way by first-party developers, but that may just be a waste of valuable development time, all things considered.

Former Sega of America President Bernie Stolar is said to have argued with his own company in favor of the Dreamcast launching with the 56K modem, becoming the first home console to include one in 1999.

Without it, virtually no one would have played or developed an online Dreamcast game in the last decade. The same lesson may apply here.