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250°

Has Microsoft Abandoned the Hardcore?

Xbox Evolved writes:

"Opinion Editorial discussing Microsoft change in direction to the casual base and how they've abandon the hardcore audience. "

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xboxevolved.e-mpire.com
Sunny_D6047d ago

Well, all I ever hear xbots talk about is NATAL and MILO!
Get off Milo's nuts, he won't save you.
Milo = Nintendogs
Actually:
Nintendogs > Milo

chrisulloa6047d ago

No one talks about Milo. You're an idiot, get out.

MetalGearRising6047d ago

Microsoft is the only company that caters for hardcore and casual audience.

jhoang6047d ago

yeah and its doing that by putting natal into the hardcore series

josuttis6047d ago (Edited 6047d ago )

Of course they have.

Just look back over the 8 year 7 billion dollar Xbox fiasco. They dumped a bunch of very expensive desktop PC parts in a big black box and tied for last place and had to pull the plug on the too expensive to manufacture hardware after racking up some 4 billion or so in losses.

They rushed out new poorly designed console hardware that was built with the cheapest and shoddiest parts to try to avoid racking up billions in losses like the first Xbox marketplace disaster did. They ended up with the RRoD fiasco and other hardware failures that have once again racked up billions in losses but this time with underpowered graphics hardware and media capabilities compared to the competition.

Anyone who really thought Microsoft would continue to throw billions down the Xbox rathole was living in a fantasy world. Bolting a Sony Eyetoy style motion controller on the old Xbox 360 hardware is much cheaper than once again trying to create expensive new console hardware. Keep the suckers paying the 50 dollar a year online fees at the very least.

Trying to compete with Sony's console hardware design and manufacturing dominance has been a disaster for Microsoft. At least targeting the Nintendo Wii crowd will be cheaper for Microsoft when they fail.

Ausbo6047d ago

they haven't yet, but that could change with natal.
As long as they keep bringing me games like splinter cell, gears, halo, mass effect and fable, then i am satisfied.

Besides, all there attempts at the casual crowd have not succeeded.

gaffyh6047d ago

I'd say they haven't abandoned the hardcore, and I don't think they'll ever want to, but from here on out, casual seems like their main focus. So we'll probably start seeing more casual games e.g. Lips, You're in the Movies etc. and less hardcore titles per year.

Anon19746047d ago (Edited 6047d ago )

I remember 2007, I had a stack of fantastic 360 exclusives to play. Halo 3, Bioshock, Gears was still going strong, Dead Rising, Crackdown. Then it was like someone turned off a switch. Over a year went by before there was any 360 exclusive I wanted to play until Gears 2 and Fable 2 hit. Now it's been almost a year again - but the only thing I see that I'm interested in is Halo Reach and Alan Wake, and who knows when those are due out. My buddy has Halo: ODST (he finished the single player in just over 2 hours allegedly) and he's lending me that one. I'm glad I didn't pay for it. 2 hour single player, for full price?

It certainly feels to me like Microsoft have turned their back on the hardcore. If I could get even half of the $900 back I spent on my 360 over the years I'd take it in a heartbeat. Now, I might as well hang on to see what Alan Wake is like and keep getting my game fix from a console that's actually delivering the games.

Microsoft Xbox 3606047d ago

Looks like it to me. All they have this holiday season is an arcade racer and more DLC.

NoBias6047d ago (Edited 6047d ago )

A lot of their games are played on a pro level. Halo and Gears are MLG games. They wouldn't give that up for anything. Yeah Natal is coming but why do people think that MS is only going to push forward with that medium and forget about their controller that is preferred by a LOT of gamers (especially for shooters).

It's still up to the developers. Microsoft is not making Natal a requirement for developers to release games on their system. That's moronic.

KingME6047d ago (Edited 6047d ago )

Microsoft creates a couple of casual periphals and a couple casual games and stop the pressing; Microsoft has abandoned the HC gamer. Damn people, does EVERY game a company release have to be hardcore inorder not to be labeled as abandoning the HC gamer.

One thing I can say, I have never seen a casual FANBOY. So perhaps there is some benefit to abandoning the HC gamer. Even though to even say MS is abandoning the HC gamer is simply stupid.

Tony P6047d ago

Absolutely not. The entire basis of this argument hinges on exclusives and Natal support. Neither actually matters.

Yeah, I know most of us would like to see MGS make more exclusive core games, but that isn't happening according to the boss man. But why o why do people think that translates into a "casual" 360?

Did everyone suddenly forget about that 3rd-party strategy? That might mean fewer exclusives, but that in no way should be taken to such extremes as "no more hardcore".

Demonzu Souru6047d ago

I don't know how you are getting away with the garbage you just posted.

I wish people would make up their minds, one day the 360 is only a hardcore console and the next day it is not. I don't see how a motion camera makes the 360 a casual console ditching the hardcore fans. I bet the PS3 fans claiming to notice the made up change are the ones bashing the console for it being nothing more than a hardcore console any other time. Very opportunistic.

y0haN6047d ago

MS abandoned the hardcore the day the 360 launched. The PC gamers.

ShadowCK6047d ago

Ignore the PS3 extremists here gentlemen. Microsoft will definitely not abandon the hardcore like Nintendo did, they have said many times during interviews.

Move along, this is hardly news.

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Turn 10 Studios6047d ago

You're not a Hardcore Gamer without a 360

Sorry but it's The TRUTH

PirateThom6047d ago

The 360 is so hardcore, the only game I've bought for it this year is Trials HD.

Saaking6047d ago

You're not a gamer if you don't have a PS3.

Alpha_Gamer6047d ago

I disagree with both of you. I think gamers should have both.

thebudgetgamer6047d ago

you have to be pretty hardcore to deal with five consoles breaking and go back for more.

:) above: me too

Obama6047d ago

Both ps3 and the pc you mean Alpha_Gamer.

Ron_Burgundy the 2nd6047d ago

I have been a gamer since NES, and at one point I owned the SNES and Sega Genesis, both heavy enemies

the announcement is that I will buy an xbox tomorrow, and will become a true gamer once again by owning both the PS3 and xbox 360

I feel that I will regret next gen not owning both, because overall I play games to have fun and be entertained

but this goes to the bots also as they should pick up a PS3 as they will regret it

PS3 only owners should also pick up an xbox 360, it's just gaming consoles -_- we should not be arguing over them and the companies that make them, as you don't get a penny from them

but anyway I will own both and will be in the gamer zone from now on, what convinced me was is that my cousin lives in Tennessee and has an xbox, and I would like to talk to him while we're playing online

If you don't believe this is my account, go to my old account Ron_Burgundy and click on bio

have a nice day people as I will not miss out on anything this gen

oh BTW I will play both just as much

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 6047d ago
Turn 10 Studios6047d ago

Forza Motorsport 3
Left 4 Dead 2
GTA: Episodes from Liberty City
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Halo: Reach
Alan Wake
Crackdown 2
Mass Effect 2
Mechwarrior
Kingdom Under Fire II

You can't be Hardcore gamer without a 360

Fact

KILLERAPP6047d ago

Why does everyone come up with a stupid list of games, is just idiotic. MS has not abandon the hardcore gamers, but this year they have run thing with exclusives because most of all delays of exclusive and move to 2010, but MS still have plenty of exclusives but since the PS3 is on a roll over the last few months MS lineup is weakening but next year is going to be a great year to be a gamer in the first 6 months of the year there will be many AAA games on both the PS3 and 360 , so in the end the gamers are the real winner.

Sunny_D6047d ago

Is today opposite day? Oh Then you are "Not" correct.

Max Power6047d ago

myself a hardcore gamer and I don't have a 360. There are games that I want to play, but I am unwilling to deal with MS console accessories and other costs.

Tinted Eyes6047d ago

"You can't be Hardcore gamer without a 360 "

But some of those are on PC

GamerSciz6047d ago

I can't believe you are still here. One measly bubble is all you got left after all your loyalty as a microsoft fanboy. Was it worth it?

On topic: No 360 isn't going away from hardcore but I have a feeling with Natal they are going to try and be more like the Wii hitting casual gamers realizing they want sheer numbers to be larger than the Wii also. It won't happen as hard as they try but even still. Most games that are on the 360 that I want, I get for PC so I am satisfied.

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500°

Kinect Technical Specifications & Xbox 360 Requirements Revealed

The most notable reveal would perhaps by the requirements of the Xbox 360 console itself. While Microsoft has insisted since the original unveiling of Kinect at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2009, then known as Project NATAL, that the device would be compatible with all Xbox 360 consoles, the revelation of a dedicated port included on the newly redesigned Xbox 360 model has sparked rumours of incompatibility, which were quickly debunked.

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electronictheatre.co.uk
5798d ago Replies(12)
lzim5798d ago

odd, i was led to believe it lacked an internal processor and so also needed a core to itself, if not 1-2 processing threads.

Wikkid6665798d ago

The article says nothing about whether the processor is internal or it uses the 360s.

darthv725797d ago

Also, the notion of a dedicated port really lends nothing to the idea of older units being incompatible. I believe the kinect port is a custom usb port (think the original xbox controller ports) but one that will feed power and data.

Older models will require a splitter that will run off a single usb port (prob the back one) that will work for the data but not the power. That is why they keep saying it will have an external power for those systems.

As for the processor, combo of both makes sense. Using 360 cpu/gpu power to help calculate the finished product on screen along with the cpu in the kinect.

Remember people...this is not a cheap usb web cam (like the original live vision).

Inside_out5798d ago (Edited 5798d ago )

They say they are using 10-15% of one 360 P4 cores. I know that the Kinect we see today is a watered down version of the patented tech they bought and own. Maybe one day the " real " tech will be cost effective. It still is very impressive tech even without a super computer running it.

wicked5798d ago

No, the previous artical said they removed a processor, but I would guess that it had more than 1 to start with. So it will have some form of processor still within it. Arm9 or Cortex M3, all dirt cheap now but powerful.

IdleLeeSiuLung5798d ago

Does it matter? They showed Forza Kinect that looked amazing working with Kinect real time!

callahan095798d ago

Are you just talking about how the graphics are able to look amazing while working with Kinect? If that's what you're talking about, ok. The game itself, though, well... I think I'll stick with the real Forza, with an Xbox 360 control pad. The limited-control Kinect Forza they showed doesn't look like it's worth any attention, in my opinion. Why would anyone want to control a car like that, with hands held out and holding onto nothing, with no control over acceleration or braking? Just seems totally pointless to me.

CrawFail5798d ago

lol real time? I don't quite think it was real time.

Bigpappy5797d ago

You guy know that the motion tech is from prime sense right? Please go to their web site primesense.com,and have a look at what they say the tech can do. It can read fingers well enough to type with each finger and can be used while sitting. No one ever said it has to scan the entire body to work. What we have seen from kinect so far is not all it is capable of.

Reading these specs and trying to compare them to PSeye is pointless, because they are different types of cameras and provide completely differnt types of info to the consoles (Kinect is a 3D camera and provides 3D images. PSeye is a 2D camera and provides 2D images). Per Primsense, the camera is capable of providing video at 60fps, but the 3D is 30fps. The specs for 2 players active is for full body scans. There are no specs given for people sitting and just using their hands.

This tech is obviously a work in progress and has yet to be fleshed out. I suggest all you N4G Kinect experts, research before you post you doom and gloom so you atleast have solid facts for you skepticism. You can also relax and see what M$ does with the tech insteat of pretending to know more that the people developing the tech.

IdleLeeSiuLung5796d ago

The game was available for people to try on the show floor at E3 so yes it was real time. Wetter you like it for Forza or not wasn't my point.

That is up to the developer to figure out.

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Apolloeye5798d ago

So pretty much the same spec as the PS Eye, although I thought the eye went up to 120 Hertz...

Theonik5798d ago

The eye goes to 60Hz i think. Regardless the eye should be capable to do any Kinect shown so far with less lag. (they revolve on a 2D axis and only use the depth tracking to separate players.) I am really disappointed by the tech and how it is utilised thus far.

shoddy5798d ago

More or less powerful we need to see the product.
So far it seem the pseye can do anything kinect can do.
2d 3d I not yet see the advantage.

IHateYouFanboys5797d ago

no, the PSEye cannot do 3D tracking. Kinect can.

the PSEye does 2D motion recognition, Kinect does 3D motion tracking. they are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT things.

Sheikh Yerbouti5797d ago

Going from alkaline to lithium was a significant step for batteries, but at the end of the day it is just a battery. PSEye and Kinect are kind of the same way. At the end of the day it is a game camera - with camera games.

IHateYouFanboys5797d ago

@Sheikh Yerbouti: your example is not really on the same scale of difference as PSEye/Kinect.

a better example using batteries would be the jump from standard batteries to rechargable batteries. theyre both doing the same thing - being batteries - but one of them does things that the other one cannot possibly do, which is be recharged and used again. it does everything the standard battery does, and more.

Kinect does everything the PSEye does (2D motion recognition), and more (3D motion tracking). no amount of software updates can change the hardware in the PSEye, and the hardware is not capable of 3D motion tracking as it lacks infra-red.

IaMs125797d ago

Yes i see your point but how you guys feel about the PS3 can be said the same way.

The PS3 may produce better graphics and be more powerful then the Xbox360, but by the end of they day its still only a console. Also inferior to PC :)

PirosThe4th5797d ago

... PSeye can do 3d as you say... even eyetoy... they used shadows and other stuff to recognize it.
Move is also 3d...

Sheikh Yerbouti5797d ago

Lithium batteries are rechargeable batteries.

Kinect isn't a true 3D camera - it can't render a picture of your butt if you are always facing front. It makes an approximate 3D model using visual cues. The PSEye can do the same, although it will be cruder.

Plus, just because the technology is different, doesn't necessarily mean gameplay will be.

@lams12
Yes, you're right. Similarly Kinect will have some good games, different from PSEye, only if Microsoft makes them. But they haven't made games too different from the PSEye.

Theonik5797d ago

Which is what i meant from the start. None of the games they have shown so far could not have been on the PS Eye.

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Xwow20085798d ago

"Tracks up to 6 people, including 2 active players"
I think now its official that just 2 ppl can play at the same time.

Godmars2905798d ago

Love that you're quoting something and you're getting disagrees.

Sheikh Yerbouti5797d ago (Edited 5797d ago )

Only room for two anyway when you think about it...
but it can keep track of six people during a game in regards to facial recognition. I think that's impressive.

I would love to have Kinect built into my laptop, so only I can get in even without a password. Why is Microsoft wasting this on the XBox again?

Ilikegames765797d ago

still couldn't play it sitting down. Honestly, some guys are so easily impressed by copy cat technology.

blackpanther255797d ago

i was at the engadget show and kudo showed its 3d tracking and when two people where on screen......one person would be red while the other would be green.......but as soon as a third person steped into the camera view two people automatically turned gray and it couldnt read their movements well.

what i took away from that event is that the kinect is pretty kool but for right now it can only work with two people(they could still be working on it)

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150°

Kinect Re-Appears on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon & Miranda Cosgrove

Xbox Evolved:

"Microsoft is holding no breaks in making sure the general public knows all about Kinect. What cooler spot to also show it than with Jimmy Fallon? "

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xboxevolved.e-mpire.com
Coded-Dude5805d ago

although i usually watch fallon. i'll have to catch an internet clip of it later.

ProA0075805d ago

it's nothing you have to see. trust me. zzzzzzz

tokoshix5805d ago

I'm sure it's just the usual marketing stuff, so nothing really interesting. Pretty much learned everything about the device at E3.

Tony P5805d ago

The more I see this targeted at non-gamers, the sadder I get.

I want a Kinect game I can be *proud* to own as a gamer. One day.

sonarus5805d ago

I saw it full of lag. The girls was standing there and her character just started twitching out of control.

Plus you can clearly see the game is full of Lag. Regardless though i don't care...its a piece of tech directed to casual gamers so kudos to MS for this. Unfortunately i don't fall into the casual crowd so this does not interest me one bit.

What does interest me though is a cheaper 360 slim with a hard drive and wifi capablities for 50 or maybe 100 bucks cheaper

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Blaze9295805d ago

was pretty funny. same demos they showed at E3 though. Nothing new. But they sure are marketing it quick.

AridSpider5805d ago

Yeah they did the same thing the day after they announced Natal last year with Good Morning America and Fallon back when it was called Natal. No doubt this thing will sell I suspect. Will it succeed technically though is the question

ProA0075805d ago

well they did say they are launching this like the launch of a new xbox.

AridSpider5805d ago

Well they price has not been 'confirmed' yet by anyone....

AridSpider5805d ago

wow first that girl's co-worker hosts the Kinect event and now she's her playing it. I see the audience Microsoft is definitely going after with Bieber, Cosgrove and McCurdy - teenage pop audiences.

Cueil5805d ago

it's that female crowd that they would love to hook into...

JasonXE5805d ago

She's kind of hot.

/pedobear

Boring show.

SpaceSquirrel5805d ago

Interesting. They did the same last year as well.

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200°

Hey Microsoft, Where Are The Core Games For Kinect?

Meodia writes, "So about a year ago when Project Natal was first starting off, many Xbox 360 and even other gamers were worried about the future of their console. A local shovelware dumping ground didn't sound quite appealing and Natal looked like it would serve extra servings of it. But Microsoft reassured us, holding our hands and telling us that everything would be alright. Since then, nothing has changed. After that "conference" at E3, we were shown nothing but how to please little girls."

xHarvey5809d ago (Edited 5809d ago )

Kinectimals. Raising a tiger isn't hardcore? lol

ipwnall5809d ago

Bubbles to you sir.

I'm extremely aggravated about this Kinect business. I mean, look at the image in the article. Those are the games for Kinect's future. Do we want to be playing those?

B-Real2065809d ago

They told you to wait till gamescom and now you will wait.

005809d ago (Edited 5809d ago )

But you won't be when that tiger mauls you.

ShinMaster5809d ago

"Wait till E3" they said.
Well E3 has come and this is the result.

Moonboots5809d ago

LOL! +bub for funny on that one!

PS: I love you Skittles! Don't eat me!!!!

BiggCMan5809d ago Show
HolyOrangeCows5809d ago

"Wait until E3"
"Wait until Gamescon"
"Wait until release"
"Wait until next E3"
"Wait until...."

So if we want core games, the best option is the waiting game?

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 5809d ago
Alcon Caper5809d ago (Edited 5809d ago )

hey ms remember this list from tgs 09?

Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, Capcom Co. Ltd, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ Inc. and Ubisoft

>:(

Imperator5809d ago

Behind closed doors being shown to paid celebrities who could care less about gaming.... if there's even any at all.

Mr Logic5809d ago

It needs buttons. There is only a limited a limited amount of things you can accomplish through gesture recognition.

Inane_Asylum5809d ago

I heard Kevin Butler say buttons existed in the future...

...I believe him...

Moonboots5809d ago (Edited 5809d ago )

Obviously Kinect is a casual device designed for those gamers first and foremost and that is the message MS wanted to send at E3 much to the angst of the core. And they have been saying all year that is what to expect.

I am going to give it some time because I don't think MS are going to ignore their core for long. And in the mean time enjoy my controller on games like Gears 3, Reach, Fable 3, Kingdoms, Black Ops, etc etc on the 360.. Not even going to mention my plate for the other systems I own.. There is just no time to play it all. (heaven?)

Redempteur5809d ago

Don't you see ? hardcore games are coming ..just now they annonced .. BURGER KING !!

............

neverming .

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Arnon5809d ago

It's funny because after the Microsoft conference, we actually saw some. In fact, I'm surprised that they showed off the shovelware they did, and then an hour later Sonic Freedom Riders and Child of Eden were shown off and completely destroyed what Microsoft displayed.

Imperator5809d ago (Edited 5809d ago )

Child of Eden is a multiplat, and do you have any gameplay vids of Sonic (I honestly want to see how it works).

@Orange Juice, Ah, I see. Looks kinda simple though. wouldn't really call it a core game.

@Arnon, if that's the case then Kinect really does have the edge in that game... but that's just one game. MS needs to show a LOT more.

Orange Juice5809d ago (Edited 5809d ago )

http://n4g.com/news/546595/...

There you go

EDIT Now that I watch the gameplay closely its most likely a game for kids. I couldnt see an adult "hardcore" gamer playing this game for an extended period of time.

Erotic Sheep5809d ago (Edited 5809d ago )

Eyetoy Antigrav says hi..

Arnon5809d ago (Edited 5809d ago )

Child of Eden is multiplat, but it's exclusive to Kinect in regards to motion controls. The developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi does not have a dev kit for Move.

http://www.computerandvideo...

HaVoK3085809d ago

If core gamers are anything like me they could careless about them.

pimpmaster5809d ago

gotta agree, MS is exactly like nintendo 2 years ago. hey, what ever happened to that dumb ass vitality sensor.

gynecologistcobra5809d ago

Like Nintendo two years ago? As in, raking up a fuck ton of cash?

pimpmaster5809d ago

as in having nothing to offer for the hardcore audience. and only for casuals

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