Posted January 22, 2015 Now THIS is interesting... http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/01/21/microsoft-is-working-on-streaming-from-the-pc-to-the-xbox-one.aspx If they can get that working seamlessly and properly (admittedly, that's a BIG if though), they might well be able to sell me an Xbone... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 22, 2015 Now THIS is interesting... http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/01/21/microsoft-is-working-on-streaming-from-the-pc-to-the-xbox-one.aspx If they can get that working seamlessly and properly (admittedly, that's a BIG if though), they might well be able to sell me an Xbone... Not sure if this would be of interest but with Playstation TV you can already stream to another TV or PC monitor in the house (as well as play Vita/PS1 games on the big screen without having the respective consoles). No idea about tablets though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 22, 2015 Not sure if this would be of interest but with Playstation TV you can already stream to another TV or PC monitor in the house (as well as play Vita/PS1 games on the big screen without having the respective consoles). No idea about tablets though. I know that, but that's not what I'm looking for... What I want is a good solution for playing PC games on my TV. Right now, the Steamboxes on offer aren't quite there yet. Something like the Alienware Alpha is pretty close, but just not quite there yet (it's not quite powerful enough, the interface isn't quite seamless enough, no easy way to turn it on/off from my sofa or control it with my Harmony remote, and there is still no wireless adapter for the Xbone controller, which I prefer over the 360 controller, etc). Ideally, I wouldn't want to deal with video/gameplay streaming at all, but I still haven't seen a solution that quite hits the mark for me yet... Maybe we'll see something better at GDC, but for now, the idea of having official support for game streaming built into Windows 10 and the Xbone itself is pretty enticing, assuming that no better solution comes about via the Steamboxes... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 22, 2015 Have you tried plugging your PC into your TV via HDMI? I did it a few years ago and have never looked back. All these boxes that connect up to TVs (and even built in smart functionality) are always sluggish lite versions compare to what you get with a slick PC. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 22, 2015 Have you tried plugging your PC into your TV via HDMI? I did it a few years ago and have never looked back. All these boxes that connect up to TVs (and even built in smart functionality) are always sluggish lite versions compare to what you get with a slick PC. I simply don't want a big massive PC next to my TV. I like my setup being as "invisible" and elegant as possible and a huge, noisy, power hungry monster of a PC (that wouldn't work seamlessly with my Harmony remote) just doesn't fit in with my setup. Something like the Alienware Alpha would be perfect for me if they just worked the kinks out of it and got proper Harmony remote support working with it (as well as an official Xbone wireless controller adapter, but that of course comes down to Microsoft pulling their finger out, so there's not much that anyone else can do about that...) I could accept an Xbone streaming solution if it worked as well as I would want it to, but that probably wouldn't happen (and even if it did, they'd probably balls it up somehow by requiring a Live subscription or some garbage limitation like that ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) I simply don't want a big massive PC next to my TV. I like my setup being as "invisible" and elegant as possible and a huge, noisy, power hungry monster of a PC (that wouldn't work seamlessly with my Harmony remote) just doesn't fit in with my setup. Something like the Alienware Alpha would be perfect for me if they just worked the kinks out of it and got proper Harmony remote support working with it (as well as an official Xbone wireless controller adapter, but that of course comes down to Microsoft pulling their finger out...) I could accept an Xbone streaming solution if it worked as well as I would want it to, but that probably wouldn't happen (and even if it did, they'd probably balls it up somehow by requiring a Live subscription or some garbage limitation like that ) My PC is near enough silent (quite easy to achieve if you build it yourself), and if I wanted to I could put it behind my TV + stand so it wouldn't be seen. Honestly, you'll pay more for those sort of compact computers and get relatively low performance where you're dependent on updates, compared to a great PC with an SSD. They needn't be large either - not with mini ITX cases. Edited January 22, 2015 by Sheikah Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 22, 2015 My PC is near enough silent (quite easy to achieve if you build it yourself), and if I wanted to I could put it behind my TV + stand so it wouldn't be seen. Honestly, you'll pay more for those sort of compact computers and get relatively low performance where you're dependent on updates, compared to a great PC with an SSD. They needn't be large either - not with mini ITX cases. I don't care if I have to pay more, I know that it's cheaper to build your own and that it would be more powerful, a custom built PC (even a mini ITX one - I have investigated the possibility before) is simply too big and doesn't work the way I want it to. I have a gaming PC already, I don't need another one. I want something like the Alienware Alpha but just a bit more powerful, with an interface that's a bit more seamless and one that works with my damn Harmony remote! (in case you haven't noticed, that's a real sticking point for me ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 22, 2015 That's fair enough, although you can get cases smaller than the Alienware Alpha for custom building. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 22, 2015 That's fair enough, although you can get cases smaller than the Alienware Alpha for custom building. Yeah, but you can't get anywhere near the kind of performance that it offers in that sized chasis, nor can you get a custom, controller/remote friendly interface when you build it yourself. It's frustrating because it feels like it's really close to what I want, but it's just not quite there! If they came out with an improved version with everything I want fixed, I would buy it in an instant! Until then, MS still have a chance if they get a streaming solution working properly... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 28, 2015 cdkeys.com have Black Flag download for £2.99, get on dat shit. http://www.cdkeys.com/xbox-live/games/assassin-s-creed-iv-4-black-flag-xbox-one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) cdkeys.com have Black Flag download for £2.99, get on dat shit. http://www.cdkeys.com/xbox-live/games/assassin-s-creed-iv-4-black-flag-xbox-one man their conversion rates suck £3.90 when converted back from the dollar price they charge. :p Edited January 30, 2015 by flameboy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 16, 2015 Looks like there's some good deals coming up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2015 @Hero\-of\-Time you've got some pretty high levels on some of those events....hitting it hard were we? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 23, 2015 Picked up Kinect Sports Rivals, Sniper Elite 3 and Strider (which wasn't in the list but was going cheap for $4.95) On the subject of Kinect Sports Rivals @Hero\-of\-Time you've got some pretty high levels on some of those events....hitting it hard were we? I honestly can't even remember playing it that much. I loved the first game but the rest of them didn't really click with me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted February 24, 2015 I honestly can't even remember playing it that much. I loved the first game but the rest of them didn't really click with me. huh maybe the leveling up happens faster than it seems! I only really like bowling to be honest, climbing is boring, soccer is a poor interpretation of the sport, wave racing is crap, tennis doesn't seem to work properly 100% and it's enough to be annoying. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 5, 2015 Microsoft's Xbox One got off to a rough start thanks to a mixed message about the target audience for the device. With that issue behind them, they have returned their focus to the gaming community and now sources are telling us that they are looking to launch a 'hardcore' game controller at E3 2015. Details are still slim on what all will be included with the controller and how it will be differentiated from its current devices but they are going after their loyal customers who love FPS and driving games. If you need any proof that there is a market for a new controller, take a look at Scuf Gaming who sells a plethora of modified enthusiast controllers. We are being told that the current target, if the project gets the full green-light, will be for E3 2015 which takes place in mid June. As with all internal projects, deadlines are subject to change and they can be canceled at anytime. Why would they even need to do this? There's nothing wrong with the One controller. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 5, 2015 Interesting. It says it's more for those who love FPS and driving games... maybe it will include something that would enhance the experience in some way? Either way, if it's true it'll be interesting to see what they do. All for ideas like this though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 5, 2015 Just a heads up to Halo players who gave up. A major update came out yesterday and the game is working flawlessly now. Quick matchmaking search times, party system is working and the dedicated servers are fantastic. It's so smooth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 5, 2015 Why would they even need to do this? There's nothing wrong with the One controller. Interesting. It says it's more for those who love FPS and driving games... maybe it will include something that would enhance the experience in some way? Either way, if it's true it'll be interesting to see what they do. All for ideas like this though. Hmmmm the only thing I can think are the sticks being made tighter and changes to the bumpers...I have problems with neither but I have seen such concerns raised. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 6, 2015 So, this was doing the rounds yesterday... There’s been a little bit of a buzz recently, after Ken Lobb announced that there were plans to revive some older Rare IPs, and a bunch of old Rare guys have come together to do a Banjo successor. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some stuff from when I was working at Microsoft, and I can say that there has been a lot of internal conflict about these old Rare IPs as of late. I was with MS for several years, and have been tied to a lot of projects, like Sunset Overdrive and was doing a little bit of work for the Master Chief Collection. I wasn’t working on any games per se, but I was in a position where I was able to see a lot of these games and other potential projects in development. From my position, I was able to learn a lot about the relationship between MS and these old Rare IPs, and the one that had the most ‘buzz’ around the office prior to my departure: Conker. So the Conker IP has been pretty much been stagnant since the Xbox version, and it’s kind of fallen by the wayside. With other IPs, management seems pretty chill in discussing new ideas, but for the longest time Conker was never really on the table for new projects. A lot of people around the office thought that MS didn’t have much faith in the Conker IP. From what I heard, a lot of people thought the style felt really dated, and that the crude humor of it felt too 90’s for modern audiences. That was just rumors and gossip from the staff, some of which have been with the company since the first Xbox came out, so I trusted what they said. That mostly changed around spring of 2014. All of a sudden, I became flooded with emails and design docs for a new Conker game. Basically, MS wanted to reboot Conker, and was shopping around for developers to make the new game. MS wasn’t comfortable developing it, and Rare DEFINITELY wasn’t making it. For a while, it really looked like Insomniac would take on the Conker reboot, they were already doing third-party stuff for MS, and they had made a hit platformer series in the past. However, Insomiac turned MS down too. Apparently MS wanted Conker to hit store shelves by the end of 2015, and Insomiac refused because of the short dev cycle. MS wanted Conker out the door really quickly, because they wanted to reintroduce audiences to a bunch of older IPs that MS were planning on rebooting for 2016-17, like Perfect Dark and Banjo. The Conker project has been pretty much canned. No one wants to make it, because MS wants to rush it out. I’m not sure if those other reboots will continue as planned, or if they wanna wait for someone to tackle Conker, like I said, I no longer work for MS and have been out of the loop for a little while, but as is, don’t hold your breath for a new Conker game. Here is an email chain between me and another MS employee, just to show you some of the thoughts of the people at MS after Conker was put on ice. It left a sour taste in people’s mouths, as you can tell. The guy then answered some questions about the statement he had made. Is there any reason (that you know of) why Rare "DEFINITELY" wasn't going to make Conker? Is it because Microsoft doesn't trust in their abilities or because they were too busy (which I doubt, since they had just finished KSR)? A little of column A and a little of column B. Most of what we know as Rare isn't the same Rare from the N64 days, a lot of the key players left. With that said, Rare is a talented group of people, but with the Conker reboot they weren't sure Rare was up to the challenge. They thought Insomniac would've been a better fit to get a product out by the end of the year. Was the development time the only thing that made Insomniac refuse? Like, would it have been a done deal had MS offered more time? I can't say why Insomniac refused the deal exactly, because I wasn't in the room when they turned down the deal and wasn't important enough to be filled in to that length. The short time frame was the only reason I was given, and I imagine it was the deciding factor. As for whether or not a deal could've been made if MS had given them more time... I asked why that wasn't an option and the reason given was because the 2015 deadline was too important. Do you know what exactly was Microsoft's angle when they demanded Conker to be out by 2015? How exactly would that have helped other Rare IP? Why not start reintroducing these franchises with Banjo, for instance? Conker would've been the soft push to getting these old Rare IPs out the door, particularly Banjo. Banjo was something that MS wasn't ready to tackle just yet, and the development of that and Perfect Dark really depended on Conker. Conker seemed like the easiest game to develop because A) Banjo was going to be facing huge fan expectations and MS wanted to know if Insomniac could handle it with Conker and B) Perfect Dark was lower on the priority list because the shooter market has become oversaturated recently. I mean, nothing was set in stone, it's not like the order was always going to be: Conker, then Banjo, then PD, but Conker was always going to take the lead. Was there any talk of a Battletoads game, or any other Rare IP that they thought had potential in the future? Blast Corps, Jet Force Gemini, Kameo, Viva Piñata, or any other. Blast Corps is a big no, JFG never had anything serious in the works, Kameo no, Battletoads and Viva Piñata?.... Do you know anything else about the plans for the Banjo game other than a scheduled release date? If so, spill the beans. With Banjo nothing was set in stone aside from that it was going to be a reboot, and that it wasn't going to be as a radical departure from the originals like Nuts and Bolts was. Kampfheld on Neogaf mentioned that you were right on 2 things, wrong in 1. And he said you probably took a guess on that thing that you are supposedly wrong about. Can you imagine what is the thing he's thinking of? Is there anything in particular on your Reddit post that you feel you took a long shot at? I'm pretty damn sure that everything I said in the Reddit post was accurate. The only thing I can think of may've been the comment on how they were planning a PD reboot for 2016/2017. The word "planning" made it sound like PD was 100% confirmed for that release date when that isn't really the case. I haven't worked at MS in a little while, so it's possible he's referring to something that's either changed, or I couldn't possibly know about. When exactly did you leave MS, and before you left did you manage to catch a glimpse for what Rare is working on themselves? Is it a new IP? Is it Kinect? Is it HoloLens? Do you know anything at all about what those guys are actually working on? I don't want to put a date on it, but it was before the new year. As for what Rare was working on, I don't want to spill all the beans. I've actually been really frustrated with a lot of things while I was working at MS so I don't mind talking about that stuff. With Rare, I was on good terms with them, so I'd rather leave their surprises be... you'll appreciate it more that way, trust me. Interesting, if true. I'm pretty sure we will see a couple of Rare IPs at E3 but it's still sad to see Microsoft trying to rush things out of the door. Surely the issues with the MCC should be a warning to them about shipping a game that ain't ready. Saying that, it seems to be standard practice for most of the industry now. 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Posted March 6, 2015 Apparently the XBO will be 199 Euro's over the weekend, if anyone is interested in importing one... http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1005181 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 6, 2015 I can't even...229€ for an Xbox One + Sunset Overdrive? Tempting. Soo freaking tempting. Pretty sure it will be 279€, though. Would buy at 229... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 6, 2015 Apparently the XBO will be 199 Euro's over the weekend, if anyone is interested in importing one... http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1005181 Insane deal, if true. I imagine they would sell out pretty quickly at that price. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 6, 2015 I might buy one on my credit card..only a few games I want to play on there but could always sell it on for a PS4 later down the line. Very tempting Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 6, 2015 I literally have 200 Euros in my pocket right now...but it's for the weekend. My fiancée would be really mad if I spend our holiday money on an Xbone. Or would she? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
