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Microsoft: The Apex Predator

Most people who follow games know that Microsoft, the recent apex predator of games, has been on a buying spree. They have been bolstering their portfolio to flesh out what they have to offer for their Game Pass service. In the beginning they started small but in recent months the purchases have been getting bigger and bigger. When it was announced that they had purchased Activision Blizzard to the tune of about $70 billion it gave me pause.

Microsoft: The Apex Predator
That’s a lot of big names

I love my Xbox and I am a devout Game Pass subscriber but the purchase announced in January made me wonder about the future of the industry. Microsoft just purchased “the” largest or one of the three largest video game publishers in the world. It is akin to Apple purchasing AMD or Intel. It is a huge purchase that has ramifications across the gaming spectrum.

After I heard the news, I wondered if the console wars had effectively been turned into a battle of East vs. West. Microsoft is working hard to gobble up all of the western developers in the Americas and Europe. Sony and Nintendo are left in Japan trying to hobble to keep up. I’m sure that Nintendo, as always, will be able to sit in their corner and bring in a tidy profit for their shareholders but Sony, who has been the king for so long, has been lagging behind recently. Their subscription service, while amazing in this author’s opinion, just can’t hold a candle to Xbox’s Game Pass.

It was announced this week that Sony had acquired Bungie but Bungie would continue to make games for all platforms. There are rumors that Sony has some other acquisitions that it wants to proceed with in the coming months. If this is true, can Sony keep up with Microsoft. Who knows?

It’s a start

I think the first thing Sony needs to do is get as many people as possible moved over to their PlayStation Now service. Microsoft did this by combining their Xbox Live service and their Game Pass service into a combo and then throwing the Xbox Live service out the window. PlayStation needs to look into doing the same thing with their services.

I pay for both PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. I picked up PlayStation Now a few years ago on sale at a criminally low price so I am set up with that service for the next few years. I think for PlayStation 5 customers they need to get them started on a combined service as soon as possible. The fact is that people don’t want to be double billed by a company for something that they could provide for one price. And Microsoft proved that it doesn’t even matter if that price is high than they were originally paying, as long as the value is there.

Sony has been making some small acquisitions but overall Sony, not PlayStation, as a company just can’t compete because it’s business isn’t as healthy as Microsoft’s overall. Many of the various departments within Sony are not holding up against competitors which means that the PlayStation division doesn’t have as much money to throw at growing their business.

How will Sony keep up with Microsoft?

I believe that Japanese companies will band together to support Sony as a way to fend off Microsoft’s encroachment into their territory. Microsoft has always had a hell of a time getting the Xbox to make any headway in Japan and even with Game Pass, Japanese gamers haven’t gotten on board with the insane value that Game Pass provides. (Japanese Netflix also lags behind America because that isn’t how Japan watches TV usually.)

The Bungie acquisition looks good on paper to shareholder but overall it doesn’t give me hope that Sony is taking these moves by Microsoft as seriously as they need to be. I want to see a strong video game industry and moving towards services instead of boxes is where the industry is heading without question. We need Sony to step it up and become the HBO Max of video game services to Microsoft’s Netflix to keep this whole thing interesting. Right now Sony is looking more like Crackle. If that reference is still applicable in this day and age.

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Parsec – Add Ubiquitous Star Wars Reference Here

I’m a little late to the Parsec party it seems. I just heard about this service recently and I tried it out this weekend and I’m impressed with what I saw. By all accounts, it seems like they have done the impossible and brought latency down to an almost imperceptible number for both users and game creators. Parsec might be the key to making cloud gaming mainstream.

One night while on a hacker forum, Parsec’s founder learned about a new way of bringing down latency by using only the GPU. They set out to try it themselves. In the beginning, the latency was still not good enough for twitch shooters and fighting games but as they continued to work on it and were able to get the latency down to under 10/ms. Of course, once we start adding in networks, home routers, and so many other kinds of things that number doesn’t stay that low but it seems that Parsec is the real deal and they have made something that works right now. Video game developers started taking notice of Parsec because of what they have been able to produce.

In early August it was announced that Ubisoft would be partnering with Parsec for a long term deal. Parsec was able to ingratiate themselves with Ubisoft after they helped power their demos for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion for over 1,000 media professionals. The demos must have gone well because Ubisoft seems to be teaming up with Parsec for the long haul. It doesn’t hurt that, as a platform holder with a new gaming service Uplay+, Ubisoft wants to throw their hat into the ever-growing pool of cloud based companies.

Cloud gaming is here to stay. It seems like every company is stepping into the ring to show off a bit of what they have in store. Google’s Stadia didn’t start well but cloud gaming isn’t something that we need right now, it’s something we’ll need in a few years and companies need to be getting it right for when that happens.

Amazon Luna is poised to launch soon and I’m sure that they are watching this very closely since Parsec is using Amazon Web Services to host their technology. Microsoft has X-Cloud and PlayStation has their PlayStation Now (Gaikai) service. Each of those companies may be wondering if Parsec can make the same magic happen using Microsoft Azure. Both of those services are using Azure for their cloud based services.

Parsec has split their business two ways that may be very beneficial. First, they are going after the content producers like Ubisoft to show off how those companies can’t live without Parsec. Game makers can add Parsec’s SDK to their games. Second, they are also going after the users, people playing at home with their friends, right now with their app. Video game players can use that app to play in a lag-free environment with friends or even with matched players.

The app gives players a way to play co-op games with very low latency. One person starts a game as a host and then someone joins that game. I tried the service out and here is what I have to report.

I tried running Burnout Paradise from my friend’s computer. I live in Japan and he lives in Omaha, Nebraska. The video had a lot of artifacting, the audio levels were going in and out at a specific interval of every second or so, and the gameplay was perceptively lagged. I ended up quitting pretty quickly after having gotten it booted up because it wasn’t a great experience.

The next game that I tried was King of Fighters. This time I started it up and let my friend share with me. We were both able to get things running and he said that the game did not look bad on his end. The lag was a lot better for that game.

I will say that I have a 2GB connection and he has a 500mb connection. There was also an ocean of distance between us and have the distance across the United States. But, after factoring all of that nonsense in I still think that Parsec has done something amazing for streaming. I will do some more testing this week and I’ll either update this article or write another one with my thoughts on the service.

The name Parsec is being spoken with near-godlike reverence when it comes to playing games online. That means whenever one of these companies ends up swooping up Parsec, that company is going to be purchasing some very good word-of-mouth from users but also names like Ubisoft, Samsung, and HP who have also used their technology. I’m excited to see how fast cloud gaming can become and it looks like Parsec might be one of the companies who brings us to the finish line.

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The Most American Console is Bringing Back the Most American Controller (read: fat)

It has been announced that “The Duke,” one of the worst controllers ever made is making a comeback later this year. The news coincides with Microsoft’s announcement that they will be bringing original Xbox games to the Xbox One. (Fuck! Microsoft’s naming conventions are stupid.)

Hyperkin, an accessory maker, has announced a partnership with Microsoft to bring an updated version of “The Duke” to the Xbox One. The new controller will feature the required additional buttons needed for the Xbox One, a recharge cable (which means it will be wireless), and a logo display screen…I have no idea what this is. Is it just going to be like the PS4’s touch-pad but even more useless?

I never actually owned “The Duke.” I purchased my original Xbox after Microsoft started putting the smaller Controller S into their American retail boxes. I definitely used one of the bulky controllers and never really liked it even then, which makes me wonder why they are doing this. Are that many people going to buy a crappy controller based on nostalgia?

Microsoft have a lot going for them I am interested in their new console and they seem to be the only console maker that is making a concerted effort to collect their back-catalog in one place, which I very much support. I don’t really think putting out a controller that everyone hated 20 years ago is the best move, which might be why they are partnering with another company to do so instead of wasting their own money putting out the thing themselves.

The Power Glove was much more of a beloved controller that was ten times more useless than “The Duke” but even it has never had a reissue. We might be witnessing the downfall of western civilization before our eyes. John Wayne is probably rolling in his grave right now.

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Phil Spencer and Xbox One: Put Up or Shut Up

Xbox head Phil SpencerXbox head Phil Spencer has spent a lot of time trying to silence Xbox’s detractors but with Xbox One’s third month on top of Sony in NPD console sales it looks like Spencer’s approach is panning out for Redmond.

When Spencer entered the doors at Xbox’s headquarters in Redmond, WA he was putting out a lot of fires and he needed to change consumer perceptions about Microsoft’s Xbox One platform which didn’t debut well compared to the Playstation 4. He has done a lot for consumers since he started at Microsoft, but what he has done to internal Xbox team perceptions might prove to be his biggest coup. From the outside, at least, it looks like Spencer’s reign at Xbox has done wonders since the turbulent launch of the system.

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Gran Turismo Sport has Balloons!

The Gran Turismo franchise has always been on the cutting edge of technology and Gran Turismo Sport, the newest addition to the franchise is no different. In the past Gran Turismo was usually the centerpiece in the Playstation lineup, a product that showed the rest of the Playstation development community the possibility of eking out jaw-dropping visuals on each respective console generation.

willow springs with balloons The PR video above Polyphony Digital released for Gran Turismo Sport at this year’s E3 was more of a promotional piece for Gran Turismo as a cultural touchtone than it was a tech demo for the Playstation 4 as a piece of hardware. This could be because of the similarities in hardware between Sony and Microsoft or it could be because Polyphony Digital wants to position itself differently this generation compared to other generations.

gt sport live steam Gran Turismo Sport looks great from the videos that are out there and I don’t think there should be any question in fans minds that it will once again be a classic example of driving beauty. Since the architecture of the Playstation 4 is so similar to that of the Xbox One, I wonder if this game will be that far ahead of Forza in the looks department. I can’t do any side-by-side comparisons to gauge which game has better this or better that, all I can do is play each game and critically figure out which one aligns with my own tastes.

prospective coverLast generation, GT5 and GT6 were like two sides of a coin. GT5 was a good game but because of development issues it lagged behind in more areas than it excelled at. GT6 seemed like Polyphony’s desire to show the world that they could make a great game in under a century that was packed with a lot of the stuff that was missing from the first Playstation 3 developed GT game. GT6, in my mind, was the ultimate racing experience of last generation; it was such a tighter product than GT5 or any of the Forza games.

GT Sport looks like it will be the follow up to GT6 that Sony fans want from Polyphony. It looks like they are getting into live streaming and the development team is focusing on online features that will bring the all corners of world together to play this one game. In this way, GT Sport looks like it has a chance to be a worldwide phenomenon; the kind of phenomenon that Gran Turismo games have always strived towards. I’m looking forward to being able to play the game with my own Playstation 4 controller when it comes out November 18th 2016.

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Forza’s Racing Retrospective

I really enjoyed this commercial that Turn 10 did for Forza 6. The CM goes through the history of racing games on consoles.

I hate to shill an ad but in this instance I guess I’ll give myself a break.

After last year’s lackluster edition of Forza, I’d like to see the Microsoft franchise get back to the top of its game, which might be more difficult with Gran Turismo 6 making such a good show for Sony.

Even if this year’s Forza doesn’t live up to its hype, at least they produced a badass commercial to pimp the product. I’m happy with that.

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Nintendo’s Design Fu is Strong

Wii U hardwareI have been using my Wii U a lot recently. It has pushed me into finally finishing a few games that I have been meaning to beat for a while; Golden Sun, Earthbound, and Super Mario Galaxy. The Wii U also has me playing new games. I never play “new” games! I usually wait until the games are at least 20% off and even then I don’t actually play the games until 5 or 6 years later. But, one game got me back into dat new shit.

Mario Kart 8 got me to buy a full priced, sixty dollar game – my eternal resting place is experiencing a cold front, I believe. I have been having a lot of fun with MK8. Today, after getting home from work, I downloaded the Mercedes DLC pack and have been having fun with those new additions to the game – some new tires and 3 Mercedes cars. Even though I haven’t been that excited for this free content, it’s a good decision to have this kind of alliance for NIntendo. I would like to see more collaborations like this for Nintendo.

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Microsoft and the Black Screen of Death

Microsoft issued a “service alert” today for many features on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The affected services are integral Xbox Live “features” like “accessing all game features,” “capturing game videos,” and joining Xbox Live members online in game. As of the writing of this article, it looks like Xbox One’s apps and features are all working correctly except for the PBS app, which is most likely due to some kind of Right Wing haxxorz. It looks as though Xbox 360 users are still experiencing issues with accessing their game features.

xbox service issuesIf problems with accessing game features wasn’t bad enough, it seems that there is a problem with the Xbox 360 specifically where the console has been “getting stuck on a black screen.” Commenters, who are usually antagonistic towards big companies like Micro$oft but now acting almost saintly, tried to tell Microsoft that this wasn’t because of any kind of firmware issues but because they just hadn’t turned on their consoles in months.

Microsoft is waiting to hear back from their support teams to figure out if what the commenters said could be the root cause of “the black screen of death.” But, Microsoft did tell it’s customers to, “Hang in there!” I’m sure they have their best gurus on the issue.

hang in there cat
Truly, a company with a heart!

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Microsoft Finally Has a Reason to be on the Front Page Again

crossed out kinectMicrosoft came out with a bevvy of news today. Not only will they be releasing a $399 version of the Xbox One without the Kinect peripheral, but they have been restructuring their Xbox Live Gold membership program in some interesting ways.

First, Microsoft has announced that it’s “popular” Games with Gold program on the Xbox 360 will be coming to Xbox One. Microsoft, a company who loves touting it’s numbers, announced that their Games with Gold program has had “over 12 million people” download their Games for Gold games, “resulting in nearly 200 million hours of free fun playing Games with Gold titles.” I think the PR guys splooged in their pants with that sentence. 

phil spencer laughingThe blog post which probably wasn’t written or published by Microsoft’s Phil Spencer detailed that access to the “free” games would be “subscription-based,” putting Games with Gold in line with the Playstation Plus program. Basically, if you aren’t paid up on your subscription, you won’t be able to access these game anymore. 

Next, Gold members will get exclusive discounts on games through their terribly named “Deals with Gold” program. This program will give Gold members savings up to 50 – 75 percent off games. This is another program that Playstation Plus currently offers, sans the stupid name.

Finally, literally, FINALLY! Microsoft users will be able to access Netflix, HBO Go, and many other apps without having to go through the Xbox Gold pay-wall. This is great news for those Microsoft users who don’t have Gold but want access to these services gratis. This change to their Xbox service is the most insignificant (in terms of implementation), yet it is the most brain-dead in terms of customer service. Microsoft should have ended this long ago.

an xbox logo in MinecraftIt has been awhile since Microsoft has had anything interesting to say, in my book. It has been said over-and-over but they have been struggling this generation – much like Sony struggled at the beginning of the last generation. Hopefully, these changes to their business plan will help them in the coming months.

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Microsoft, Sony, and the Scientific Method

ps4 vs xbox one memeGamespot reported that the Playstation 4 enjoyed extremely lucrative sales in January, quoting the VP of PlayStation marketing John Koller who said, “PS4 was #1 in sales for next-gen consoles in January, nearly doubling the nearest next-gen competitor.” NPD does not post sales numbers for consoles publicly; only the publishers are privy to that information. But, it shouldn’t be too difficult to suss out the name of that mysterious company. Sony has been taking these little jabs at that company every chance they get. (It’s Microsoft.)

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Microsoft finally realized that Blu-ray is owned by Sony

White XBONE
Trying to look innocent in that white dress.

Microsoft came out this generation with it’s head held high from it’s successes last generation. They held it high enough that the public could smell the fetid air of superiority wafting off of every news report leading up to the launch of the Xbox One. The stench caused the community to explode over DRM issues, Kinect connections, and the ‘Gamestop dilemma’ of used games. All of these issues led to Giantbomb naming Xbox One the Hottest Mess of 2013.

They garnered that title for continually planting their feet and soon after go back on their unpopular decisions concerning the new direction for console gaming. Sony was able to sit back and watch. Microsoft seems like a ditsy high schooler and Sony takes the persona of the unaffected kid sitting in the corner of the lunch room brooding knowingly that high school life is bullshit and it is all gonna end one day.

According to rumors from gamespot.com and VG247, Microsoft might release a newer version of the XBONE at a $399 price tag sans Blu-ray drive and add a Bluetooth adapter.

This seems like another adolescent move for Redmond. If they lose the Blu-ray drive, what are the discs going to come on? DVD? Are they going to try to resurrect HD-DVD? Are they going to try to go all digital?

The anonymous “secret source” in the story could not confirm some of the specifics that came out earlier this week, but s/he did confirm that they were working on a new console for less than the current price tag.

I, for one, hope that they do try to get a more competitively priced console on the market, but I don’t see how dropping the Blu-ray drive could even be on the table without making more of a mess of what they have done.