[XB1] Official Xbox One Thread

[Epidemik]

'Women are the new core,' says Microsoft narrative designer

"The world is changing, it has already changed, and we have not been doing a very good job of keeping up with it," says Tom Abernathy.

A narrative writer for Microsoft Studios has said that "women are the new core" and that creating more diverse stories, including more female characters and ethnicities, will make for better games.

Speaking as part of a presentation at GDC 2013 (written up by GamesIndustry and Polygon), Tom Abernathy--who has worked on Halo: Reach, The Saboteur, and Destroy All Humans--said the games industry hasn't kept up with today's social culture and that the market for video games is changing at a pace that developers and publishers aren't keeping up with.

"Our audience is leaving us behind," Abernathy said. "The world is changing, it has already changed, and we have not been doing a very good job of keeping up with it."

Abernathy pointed to various studies that show the diverse makeup of modern gamers, including research by the Entertainment Software Association and casual game developer PopCap which states that adult women now make up 30 per cent of US gamers.

"Women are not a small special market on the fringe of the core," Abernathy said. "Women are the new core."

Abernathy also said that more diverse games would be good for the business of the games industry, because more diversity would bring in a wider audience and therefore generate more money. "But you need to persuade people that it's OK, and won't hurt sales but might help them," he said.

"Nobody in the room admits to being against making characters female or nonwhite," he added. "But they're scared because they don't know how to defend that choice to their bosses."

"Our industry, our art, and our business stand to gain in every sense simply by holding a mirror up to our audience and reflecting their diversity in what we produce," Abernathy said.

NG4 TOP COMMENT:

Our audience is leaving us behind," Abernathy said.
(HE MEANS XBOX 360 AUDIENCE, HARDCORE)

"Women are not a small, special market on the fringe of the core," Abernathy said. "Women are the new core."
(HE MEANS FOCUS IS MORE CASUAL GAMING, KINECT 2)

Looks like Microsoft focus more new core, casual, just like last 3 E3s was all about Kinect.

Nintendo tried re-creat Wii, what is not that good.

Sony goes back to basic, this what gamers love.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/women-are-the-new-core-says-microsoft-narrative-designer-6406037

 

[JimLeavy59]

Gamers don't give a shit about that BS. Just give us good games and shut the fuck up.

 

[Handleit_44]

Next-gen Xbox controller near identical to current unit - report

Unnamed 'sources' have apparently told Kotaku that prototype versions of the new console's controller, which are currently in the hands of developers, are much the same as the Xbox 360 controller.

Aside from being 'a little smaller' in overall size, the new controller apparently features the same twin-analogue setup and button layout, including the centrally-positioned Home button, analogue triggers and d-pad.

The new Xbox controller is also said to be void of any new input mechanics, unlike the Wii U, which has a touch screen, and the PS4's DualShock 4, which will feature a touchpad, lightbar, speaker and numerous other new features.

Kotaku also reports that Microsoft has covered its next-gen Xbox hardware prototypes in black and white-stripped patterns, possibly to deter leakers as each one could contain a slightly different - and, crucially, traceable - pattern.

It has been speculated that Microsoft will announce its next-generation Xbox platform at a special event in late April.

The next Xbox, codename Durango, is said to utilise an AMD eight-core x64 1.6GHz CPU, a D3D11.x 800MHz graphics solution and 8GB of DDR3 RAM.

http://www.computerandvideogames.co...roller-near-identical-to-current-unit-report/

 

[Swarley]

Good. I love pretty much every aspect of the 360 controller. No need to completely revamp it. Just hope that they use internal batteries this time around, that would be my only real desired change.

 

[Handleit_44]

GameStop CEO: "Been talking with MS, next Xbox a very hot, compelling device"

Leading video games retailer GameStop saw its sales drop seven percent last year, and chief executive J. Paul Raines sees much of the decline attributable to the console cycle itself. With fewer games to sell, the impact is being felt on the used games side as well, but Raines told GamesIndustry International last week following the GameStop earnings call that he's very excited for next-gen, and he's especially eager for Microsoft to take the wraps off its next-gen Xbox.

"We've been spending a lot of time with Microsoft, but we have to let them take the lead on this, but it will be a very hot, compelling device. They are doing some really cool stuff, and I'm eager to hear them start their announcements because I think the world is going to stand up and take notice," Raines commented.

While some in the industry have a negative sentiment towards the console space overall and believe that next-gen consoles simply won't sell the same volume that we've seen in previous cycles, Raines remains optimistic.

"We don't subscribe to that. The cool thing with GameStop is, we've got a lot of gamers here and we've got a lot of people [on the team] who've seen every console cycle. And what's interesting to me - I was talking to one of our founders, Dan DeMatteo, and he was telling me every console cycle you get people who will say 'there will never be another console,' or 'what else can the consoles do?' And we just believe it's a cycle and we just haven't had a new product in so long. But we certainly don't believe that the new consoles won't be as exciting," he said, adding that the nearly 900,000 people who signed up for the "First to Know" list to hear more about the PS4, and the 34 percent of PowerUp Rewards members who expect to buy a PS4 in the next 12 months is proof of the buzz around new consoles. "There's a lot of demand for PS4, and I think there will be for the next Xbox as well, once it's announced."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...ext-xbox-will-be-a-very-hot-compelling-device

 

[Swarley]

Was just about to post that. Handle beat me to it.

I'm not sure how much stock I put into this guy's talk, but if they are working in some way with Microsoft, I have to think that means the new console will in fact run used games.

 

[Twigg4075]

Good. I love pretty much every aspect of the 360 controller. No need to completely revamp it. Just hope that they use internal batteries this time around, that would be my only real desired change.

And move the Start button further away from the X button. That would be great.

 

[Swarley]

And move the Start button further away from the X button. That would be great.

Meh.

 

[Twigg4075]

My mistake. There is plenty of real estate there. It's not even the width of one of the face buttons. Yup, plenty of room. Espcially when the buttons are slippery plastic with not texture at all.

 

[killgod]

For once I agree with twiggler's complaining. :yep:

What about the d-pad? Nobody likes the d-pad. Nobody. Don't even try to lie to me.

 

[Twigg4075]

For once I agree with twiggler's complaining. :yep:

What about the d-pad? Nobody likes the d-pad. Nobody. Don't even try to lie to me.

Oh yeah, how could I forget that? I loathe playing games on 360 that require any use of that. Nothing like trying to use a health pack and unintentionally turning on your flashlight instead.

 

[dave]

Agree about the d-pad. It's pretty much useless.

 

[Swarley]

I will agree with the d-pad. That needs to be redone. But like I've gone through this with Twigg before, I have never once had a problem with the X/Start buttons. Maybe a beveled edge with the A/B/X/Y being on a plateau or something would help you guys out.

 

[Garrett67]

This console is tired and has ran it's course. This thing won't sell well at all.



They will be lucky if it hits 1 million sold.

 

[Twigg4075]

This console is tired and has ran it's course. This thing won't sell well at all.



They will be lucky if it hits 1 million sold.

LOL.

 

[Handleit_44]

The Next Xbox Will Require an Internet Connection To Start Games, Sources Say

Two Kotaku sources have added more credence to the rumor that the next Xbox, expected to battle the PlayStation 4 in late 2013 or early 2014, will be an always-online system, though it will be able to tolerate dropped connections.

"Unless something has changed recently," one of the sources told us over email, "Durango consumer units must have an active internet connection to be used."



Durango is the codename for the next-gen Xbox.

"If there isn't a connection, no games or apps can be started," the source continued. "If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time--currently three minutes, if I remember correctly--the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started."

http://kotaku.com/the-next-xbox-will-require-an-internet-connection-to-st-470062456

 

[U824942]

This console is tired and has ran it's course. This thing won't sell well at all.



They will be lucky if it hits 1 million sold.

Debbie Downer...........waaaa waaaa!

 

[U824942]

The Next Xbox Will Require an Internet Connection To Start Games, Sources Say





http://kotaku.com/the-next-xbox-will-require-an-internet-connection-to-st-470062456

So if i take my new xbox on vacation with me to a resort that doesn't have wifi (ala upstate NY), what am I supposed to do - use it as doorstop or paperweight? If I have a game disc, why wouldn't I be able to run the game if I want? This is a bit of overkill if you ask me....it's not like there is a large amount of pirating XBOX games that require additional DRM like with PC games......

 

[padman59]

So if i take my new xbox on vacation with me to a resort that doesn't have wifi (ala upstate NY), what am I supposed to do - use it as doorstop or paperweight? If I have a game disc, why wouldn't I be able to run the game if I want? This is a bit of overkill if you ask me....it's not like there is a large amount of pirating XBOX games that require additional DRM like with PC games......

Always online is the next step toward a digital only platform (and subsequently, the end of used games), and I'm guessing that MS is going to start pushing for people to start buying full retail games from the Live marketplace if this is true.

 

[Handleit_44]

Microsoft Studios' creative director has some choice words about always-online

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=534951