Author: Jeff Morgan (Page 243 of 260)

      Facebook And Twitter Only For Xbox Live Gold Members

      August 28, 2009 /

      Twitter on Xbox 360.Microsoft surprised me yesterday when they announced that Facebook and Twitter on the Xbox 360 would only be available to Xbox Live Gold members. Maybe surprised isn’t the word. My first thought was, ‘of course.’ But then I had to wonder, why?

      Why only Gold members? Sure, it adds yet another reason to throw down the $50/year subscription fee, which is pretty minimal cost for the value you get as a regular player. Adding social services to Xbox Live falls in line with the “entertainment hub for your home” strategy that Microsoft has been pushing, so why not make the services free? It may not get more subscribers, but it has the potential to sell more consoles.

      I think it’s safe to say that the average Silver member would probably remain Silver even after the two services become available. After all, these are the uber-casual, the people you probably couldn’t entice to sign up with free ice cream. Pitching these services to those people won’t make one bit of difference.

      There are plenty of other reasons to try to charge money for this stuff, but the Xbox Live subscription fee is so minimal, and the cash likely already designated to other aspects of their business, that Microsoft would probably see more total value from making the services free. It may not be a ton more, but you’d almost certainly have more people with a controller in hand more often. Isn’t that the dream, after all?

      Previews, Websites, Xbox 360

      No HDMI Cable = Flexibility For Consumers

      August 27, 2009 /

      HDMI cableSo spaketh Microsoft’s Chris Lewis to GI.biz, so let it be true. But wait that’s not true. That’s like the opposite of flexibility. That’s imposing choice on consumers who may not want to spend $30 on an HDMI cable at Best Buy or wherever else they buy their gaming hardware.

      But let’s be fair. Let the man’s words speak for themselves. “We wanted to get the Elite pricing to a figure that is acceptable for consumers so they have the option of a premium console gaming experience. Removing the HMDI cable gives the flexibility to consumers who can then decide which type of cable they want for their specific gaming and TV screen set-up,” said Lewis. You know, that still sounds like the opposite of flexibility.

      Let’s pick this one apart, shall we? First, Lewis suggests that the HDMI cable may have been part of the cost of the Elite Xbox 360. HDMI cables are like $4, and as someone who has used the $50 version alongside the $4, I can’t tell a difference in quality. He goes on to suggest that not giving you cables means you have flexibility in your standard of video quality. I don’t know about you, but when I bring home a new toy, I like to play with it. Maybe I just don’t plan ahead as well as Mr. Lewis, but if I’ve just purchased an HD capable system, I want it in HD. I don’t want to run out to hastily buy a new cable because I just can’t wait (and believe me, I can’t wait).

      As flimsy as the statement may be, it doesn’t lead us to the real reason Microsoft dropped the cable. It’s not cost. It just flat out isn’t. So why? And why no more component cable?

      News, Xbox 360

      Microsoft Officially Confirms 360 Price Cut

      August 27, 2009 /

      Xbox 360 Pro and Elite.Yes it was one of the worst kept secrets in gaming industry of late, but Microsoft has finally officially confirmed the price cuts for both the Elite and Pro Xbox 360 systems. Of course the Pro version is going the way of the Dodo, which is to say straight to extinction after dropping the price by $50.

      Microsoft was making the rounds, telling most major news outlets today that they were officially confirming every single rumor. They were even fairly good natured about it. The rep that contacted Ars Technica said, “We’re going to shock you if you’ve been either traveling for a long time, or you don’t read your own site.”

      As for the change to the Elite, which if you don’t know means it no longer includes an HDMI cable nor component cables, the Microsoft rep told Ars, “According to our research, most of the customers who bought the Elite weren’t using the HDMI. We’ve removed it, and passed it on as part of our price savings.” Lucky us! They’re passing along that $3 savings. Wow. Thanks Microsoft. Now I can never say you didn’t give me anything.

      News, Xbox 360

      Halo 2 Matchmaking Was A Big Risk According To Bungie

      August 26, 2009 /

      Master Chief in Halo 2.It’s hard to think of anything Bungie has done in the last, oh, eight years as a risk. They’ve got what is easily one of the most successful game franchises of all time spread all over the globe. At any given time you can find more than 200,000 players looking for a game in Halo 3‘s matchmaking – a system that was largely based on the Halo 2 experience, which is a system Bungie’s calling “a big risk.”

      In speaking with OXM, Bungie’s Brian Jarrad had a lot to say about the middle child of the current franchise. “I remember matchmaking, when we rolled that out with Halo 2 it was such a big risk,” Jarrard said. “We walked away from the established norm, there were no server lists – we turned the whole thing upside down and it was a big leap of faith.”

      I don’t know about turning the whole thing upside down, but they certainly changed the way players look for games as compared to a PC, and it worked. And it continues to work. Pretty well, for the most part. There are still boosters ruining games, and people who just won’t seem to stay banned, but my own experience has been mostly positive when it comes to playing Halo online. Sure, I prefer the LAN experience, but I’d bet most people do. For my part, I’m still happy Bungie took the risk.

      News, Xbox 360

      PS3 Slim Will Lose Money For A While

      August 26, 2009 /

      Kaz Hirai.Everyone knows the console hardware business is not the place to make money. Not at first, anyway. After the cost of the internals start to come down you might see some profit, but even then, it’s small. That model holds true for Sony’s new PS3 Slim, a leaner version of the PS3. Sony exec Kaz Hirai told the Times Online that the PS3 Slim will lose money, just like the earlier model.

      That really doesn’t come as a surprise. Sure, the technology is a few years old, but the size is not. I think anyone reading this blog knows that shrinking an existing technology is the most surefire way to increase the cost.

      Hirai’s response when questioned about profitability is certainly strange, though.

      If you’re just talking about the hardware alone, the quick answer is yes. That makes good headlines, but I don’t actually know that that’s the true nature of the business that we’re all in, whether it’s PlayStation, Xbox or the Wii. I think the better indicator is to look at the business as a whole platform, to ask: are you profitable in terms of the hardware, software and peripherals. And the answer to that question is yes on a gross profit level since the last fiscal year.

      I’m not sure when this kind of news made for a great headline, but I am writing about it, so I suppose what he says is true. I just think it’s odd that he words things like this is a new concept to anyone who would be inclined to read the article. We know that, and sometimes we read about stuff we already know.

      News, PS3

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