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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Update: Polygon Source Info in OP - Kotaku: Xbox Slim This Year, More Powerful Xbox One In 2017, Future Titles to Release on XB/PC, Iterative boxes from now on

DA f Kotaku who going to buy now xbox slim if know in a few monts later will be a xbox2? Good strategy from MS they low the cost product and they going for the new console



 

 

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potato_hamster said:
kowenicki said:

indeed.

Maybe you guys should try playing the latest hardware intensive iPhone games on an iPhone 4S and see how well that works out for you. Something like Implosion: Never Lose hope. An iPhone 4S is only 5 years old, but it's completely redundant when it comes to the latest and greatest titles. Heck, the iPhone 5 is only 4 years old, but you're not playing the latest FIFA game on it.

Under an interative hardware model, older hardware gets dropped quicker than you would see in standard console life cycles. Console owners will have to upgrade more often than they ever have before.

you're saying that a phone 5 generations behind the current one has a bit of performance issues when playing a more recent game? I think you're missing the point on iterative consoles, console manufacturers don't make enough profits in the hardware itself to justify releasing it too frequently. That's not the case with phones, specifically with Apple with their insane markups. There isn't also enough of a hardware performance increase to justify a new release every other year. This generation is a very special one due to the transition to 14nm process. This was a 50% die shrink compared  to the previous generation and there's pretty much very little room to reduce the sizes on the silicone. There will be no 7nm die shrinks anytime soon, until we move away from silicone completely.

 

edit: http://www.extremetech.com/computing/97469-is-14nm-the-end-of-the-road-for-silicon-lithography

a bit of context to my reply



The transition gets nearer.



 

The PS5 Exists. 


AnthonyW86 said:
CosmicSex said:
While I maintain that Kotaku is full of shit,
This sounds like a windows 10 box that plays Xbox discs.

Sounds like a affordable gaming PC with a disc-based/retail games market to me. In other words: Winning!

Its definitely an interesting idea, but the key is how Microsoft handles the identity of Xbox as a brand.  I mean, if its a console or is it just a budget PC?  If PC is getting all the Xbox One games going forward, how does Microsoft market its box seperately from PC as a whole.   Notice how Microsoft has been including Windows 10 and PC gaming in its NPD PR which is a retail report.  Its like they are preparing us for the transition but how they go about blending the to together is the real interesting part of this.  There is a real unnatural disconnect that exsists between Microsoft gaming (centered around Xbox the console) and their breadwinning platform (Windows 10).  How they have remained seperate for so long is insane.  

Also, as one final point of consideration, notice that Microsoft has been advertising Xbox Live for Windows 10 PC lately (see the solitare commercial)  Bending PC and Xbox seems to require a way to get PC owners on board with Live.  This is their ultimate challange I think. 



setsunatenshi said:
Veknoid_Outcast said:

So, as I wrote earlier, I'm all for advances in technology - just at a slower pace. If graphics and lighting meant nothing to me, I'd still be playing ColecoVision. As far as B goes, I don't recall writing I would feel forced to buy an interative console. I wrote that the act of upgrading mid-cycle would cloud the line between PC and console, and, in the process, destroy the raison d'etre of console gaming.

I think my points comply with and inform each other. I don't want iterative consoles because 1) when I invest in a console I expect a stable, uniform experience for a five or six year period and 2) I object to the principle that mid-cycle refreshes are necessary in the first place.

It's a matter of opinion on how frequent is too frequent, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one, but having said that my point still stands. Taking the rumors we have (and it's pretty much all we can base this on), they plan to share the same game library between both console generations. So what would you have to lose by keeping your current console and skipping the so called mid-cycle upgrade?

There is a stable uniform experience for you during whatever time it takes for the new leap to happen, so if you don't want to upgrade you really don't have to at all.

Is there something I'm missing here?

If I can play all Xbox games on both Xbox 1 and Xbox 1.5, and the only thing that Xbox 1.5 provides is higher resolution and frame rate, then, yes, I agree there's no issue from my end. After all, that's how I treat PC gaming. I have a modestly-powered PC, and have no problem playing newer games on low settings.

But that's a big if. We're assuming developers will continue to support all iterations, and we're counting on the benevolence of Microsoft. Isn't it possible that Microsoft copies what Nintendo did with Xenoblade Chronicles on N3DS, locking out those who bought earlier iterations of the system?

I'll return to my first point: what I love about console gaming is the fact that I can drop $300 or $400 in year one and know exactly what I'm getting in year five. Mid-generation upgrades interrupt that predictability. Who knows how console manufacturers will incentivize upgrades? Who knows how first- and third-party developers will react? Who knows if online multiplayer will  maintain a level playing field?



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spemanig said:

0D0 said:

Yes, I don't want it. I want to buy a machine that I'm sure that will run tons of games for many years.

Microsoft will end up forcing us to keep upgrading.

You sound like someone who's literally never seen a smartphone before, because that is literally the opposite of how iterative hardware works.

For example: Iphone 6 broke many iPhone 5 games, including Capcom's and Square's. And it's the same architecture and same OS. This is iterative hardware. Devs strugle to keep their games and apps running on smartphones, unless they want to keep it updated for all smartphone versions which doesn't happen. I don't want this for consoles.



God bless You.

My Total Sales prediction for PS4 by the end of 2021: 110m+

When PS4 will hit 100m consoles sold: Before Christmas 2019

There were three ravens sat on a tree / They were as blacke as they might be / The one of them said to his mate, Where shall we our breakfast take?


Veknoid_Outcast said:
setsunatenshi said:

It's a matter of opinion on how frequent is too frequent, so I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one, but having said that my point still stands. Taking the rumors we have (and it's pretty much all we can base this on), they plan to share the same game library between both console generations. So what would you have to lose by keeping your current console and skipping the so called mid-cycle upgrade?

There is a stable uniform experience for you during whatever time it takes for the new leap to happen, so if you don't want to upgrade you really don't have to at all.

Is there something I'm missing here?

If I can play all Xbox games on both Xbox 1 and Xbox 1.5, and the only thing that Xbox 1.5 provides is higher resolution and frame rate, then, yes, I agree there's no issue from my end. After all, that's how I treat PC gaming. I have a modestly-powered PC, and have no problem playing newer games on low settings.

But that's a big if. We're assuming developers will continue to support all iterations, and we're counting on the benevolence of Microsoft. Isn't it possible that Microsoft copies what Nintendo did with Xenoblade Chronicles on N3DS, locking out those who bought earlier iterations of the system?

I'll return to my first point: what I love about console gaming is the fact that I can drop $300 or $400 in year one and know exactly what I'm getting in year five. Mid-generation upgrades interrupt that predictability. Who knows how console manufacturers will incentivize upgrades? Who knows how first- and third-party developers will react? Who knows if online multiplayer will  maintain a level playing field?

well I guess we fundamentally agree then. I am starting from the assumption that the leaks regarding the PS4 Neo are valid and there is absolutely no barrier between the versions of the consoles, especially in multiplayer. I am taking for granted MS will follow that same path. If they don't I'll be right there with you calling BS on this whole thing.



So i assume the next xbox could end up being a little more powerfull than the ps4neo if its released in 2017, i still going to stick to PlayStation from here on out as consoles become more like an eco-system with constant new hardware upgrades and services, its not afforable anymore to flip flop between the two.
I think its shady from MS to release the slim model this year, and next year the more powerfull hardware. A lot of consumers will buy the slim model and be pissed next year



If they came with a modular Xbox extremely well executated, and a very adjusted price, MAYBE they're not losing me as a customer. If they simply put out a Xbox "Neo" i'm done with consoles. I will play their games on PC.



Tim and The Princes...

setsunatenshi said:
Johnw1104 said:

I could swear you're describing PC's in that first paragraph.

The point of consoles, in my mind (and much like Veknoid there said), is to make a one time purchase that will be your gaming machine for years to come, and for that duration games are designed specifically with your console in mind. Bringing out frequent upgrades will inevitably cause many to develop games for the newer hardware, potentially causing performance issues for anyone with an older model (anyone who's a regular PC gamer should be painfully cognizant of this issue). It also engenders frustration with those who purchased the old model just prior to the announcement that a new one is coming, which is one reason the New 3DS pissed me the heck off.

With PC's you can replace individual parts of the computer and you know of hardware upgrades many years in advance. Here, we seem to be getting "rumors" no more than one year in advance. Someone who purchases a console should be guaranteed that they'll be receiving the full console experience, and not lesser ports of better games. You speak of it being easier on devs, but devs actually hate this idea due to the additional costs involved of trying to maximize their games for multiple iterations of the same console. In fact, contrary to your claim that devs needn't worry about a sudden switch in generations, under this system turnover will be even more frequent.

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2016/04/19/ps4-5-neo-sony-playstation-4/

As for your comment about backwards compatibility, this in no way means there will be backwards compatibility indefinitely going forward. If they keep making consoles true upgrades will render it as expensive as it's always been to have built-in backwards compatibility, and streaming may soon render that issue moot anyway. These upgrades are intended as a stopgap, not a successor.

I think it's important for consoles to not forget what they truly are: a less expensive machine exclusively for gaming. The model was never meant for cutting edge gaming, and given the new hardware will still be outdated when released, they're needlessly complicating their industry to little benefit for anyone.

Just on the point of the frequent updates:

1 new hardware every 3 or 4 years is not much different than the classic 5/6 year turnover model that existed until now. Again, if you chose to upgrade after 6 years that's absolutely fine, at least according to what Sony has planned (based on the rumors) the games will literally be the same across the 2 models of the console. So if you're not concerned about being at the top of the graphical pyramid you'll absolutely be playing the same games, no impact on you as a consumer.

Now the comparison to PC is really flawed, the variance that exists between the 2 skus that would exist (eg PS4/PS4Neo) is orders of magnitude smaller than the amount of different PC configurations you can have. I would probably be willing to bet there are no 2 users on this forum with the absolute same PC at home (including hardware manufacturer for each of the parts), and still as long as you have the required operating system and minimum specs all the games will run.

Consoles won't have custom drivers for compatibility, unlike PCs. The system is unified and every single user should be on the same firmware version at any given point.

I think people who are not very familiar with the PC gaming world are panicking over absolutely nothing. Everyone will still have their plug and play experience without having to wonder if their machine will play whatever game they buy.

 

Regarding the backwards compatibility, I think you might be confusing the hardware iterations to software changes.

Example:

If i bought doom 2 in 1998 and I tried to install it right now to play I would absolutely be able to do so. Obviously all the components I have on my PC are light years ahead of the ones I had in 98, but as long as the operating system that ran that game is installed I'll easily be able to play it again on my current pc.

Now that the consoles are on an X86 architecture it's no more difficult than in a PC. If I'll want to play Bloodborne on my PS10, there is no reason not to have the option to add the PS4 operating system (or retain compatibility with such) on whatever OS they will have at the time. I think both Sony and Microsoft realized this and I can see a really bright future ahead for gamers. I really can see 0 disadvantages as things stand.

Unfortunately our replies to one another always seem to require a short essay lol, I'm getting the impression we have two very different views of the gaming world.

I should also start with the first point about the frequency of upgrades. I suppose just how often it is reasonable to release an upgrade is debatable (I feel 3 years is much too short, for instance, but I'd have no problem with the Wii U lasting 4 as I feel it's run its course), but we both seem to have opinions colored by assumptions, yours optimistic and mine pesimistic.

I find it quite difficult to believe that the games will "run the same" on both systems unless the versions for the new system are rather unimpressive. The truth with console games is that, unlike PC's where development begins by focusing on minimum specs and allowing the higher end to be pushed at the user's discretion based on the capability of their hardware (which often proves unstable), console games have always uniquely been designed with maximizing performance in mind across the uniform hardware. Right off the bat this complicates matters, as they'll either have to maximize for two separate consoles, save on costs and maximize for the new one while sacrificing performance on the old, or save on costs and simply maximize for the original console while neglecting the capabilities of the new one.

That's before we even get into the added labors of different hardware. From what I've read the PS4 Neo will have upgraded memory capabilities. Little more than attempting to migrate code to a system with additional restrictions on memory can often instead require a complete reprogramming of the game (and thus one of many reasons they take a minimum specs approach to PC gaming). I suspect (and hope) this will force developers to initially develop for the original PS4 before porting it up to the Neo, but I have no doubt others will instead design the game with the capabilities of the Neo in mind as opposed to the limitations of the original. 

Essentially, there seem to be two main possiblities here: Sony is right and the two games "will literally be the same" on both systems (thus rendering the whole upgrade rather pointless in my mind), or there will be stark differences between the two. In an ideal world both would run smoothly and, as a PS4 owner who isn't interested in a minor $400 upgrade for games that they claim will hardly differ from what's available, I certainly hope that's true. I am, however, not holding my breath for it to work out that way... I'm just too accustomed to old hardware being neglected by developers.

As for the PC, while it is indeed more difficult to program for it than it is for consoles, that is precisely why they've taken the minimum specs approach for years. The available engines take a great amount of the workload off of the shoulders of the developers, and by focusing on minimum specs and generally being largely concerned with stability for only two OS (Windows and Apple) they've been able to release games that are capable of running on an enormous assortment of computers with relative stability. Truly, if there weren't work-arounds for that issue there'd be no games released for the PC at all given the logic you yourself stated.

Even so, most games require a great deal of patches to achieve any real stability, and the development cycle of PC exclusive games has become rather absurd with time; these days it doesn't seem unreasonable to say a major game intended for the PC takes at least half a decade in most cases, and plenty appear to be stuck in an eternal Alpha or Beta stage of development. As someone who loves Steam, I must say it seems like half of the major games available for sale there are actually still in Beta or Alpha. That's never been acceptable in the console community, and I do wonder how it would be received. The bar for stability and the "plug and play" mentality is very high for consoles, though, and perhaps its biggest selling point next to price, and I really doubt they'd be ok with the amount of crashing and nonsense PC gamers often encounter.

To be frank, I've forgotten why we're even discussing PC's right now (though it's a favorite topic of mine); I never claimed there wasn't more involved in programming for PC's, but the approach to programming for it has always been very different than programming for consoles. My intention for bringing up the PC was merely to point out that it's easier to plan ahead, you can replace individual parts (at this point my computer has become a Thesus's ship paradox, with virtually every part replaced at some point or another), and you can truly try to optimize the experience if you so desire, as having lesser hardware can impact the experience. This seems quite different, where the effect is either negligible or stark, and it's a community that chose consoles precisely because they didn't want to have to spend extra for the high-end experience. It's a very strange middle ground that they appear to be trying to fill here.

As for backwards compatibility, I assure you as a person who has an unavoidable love of old computer games I'm aware that virtually anything can be played so long as it is compatible with your OS, or you're running DosBox etc, though the Windows 95 era is a pain at times. The adoption of x86 is why I've been frustrated with Microsoft for not making what seems like a minimal effort to allow original Xbox games to be played on their new system, but perhaps they think there's not enough of us to be worth the effort (I have a decent library with a no longer working Xbox that's really bugging me).

Of course, the availability of those emulators and compatibility modes on PC's have never been present in consoles, so I do not see them suddenly opening up past libraries spare through the possible use of streaming (that's the only way I see PS3 and Xbox360 ever being playable on the modern consoles, for instance). That seems to be the work-around both have chosen for the moment, anyway. Hopefully going forward 86x continues to make sense for their consoles, as they have dropped it before for their own designs in the past... pressure from developers might make it stick this time, though.

So basically, what I see here are minor upgrades that either serve little purpose or could instead lead to lesser versions of games for the original owners. I suspect it's the former, and we'll see something akin to the first two years of games on the PS4 and Xbox1 that seemed like little more than enhanced ports of PS3 and Xbox360 games as, of course, that's exactly what they were, because it's far too expensive to work in the opposite direction (and thus why developers aren't happy about this development). That's just additional time, money, and manpower for seemingly little benefit.

I'm not sure there's an ideal reuslt here where new owners feel they got their money's worth and old owners don't feel like they're getting a lesser product (and if it becomes regular I'll likely be quite hesitant about early adoption in the future). This could engender some real ill-will, especially if reviews start rolling in with 9's for the new game and 7's for the old. Again, all assumption, but that's what's painting both of our views at this point as we don't know how Sony or Microsoft will behave. Hopefully, at the very least, they keep the promise not to have exclusives for the upgrade.

As a final note, if I had to guess what prompted all this it would be that the original PS4 is simply incapable of handling the Playstation VR very well and they realized they'd need a hardware boost to pull it off. I've really wondered how the base PS4 was intended to achieve worthwhile VR, and the timing of this would really suggest to me the two are intended to work in tandem (not to mention the code names "Morpheus" and "Neo" that more than suggest a connection). While I think there's a great chance games will be fairly well playable on both versions of the PS4, I suspect it's the VR games where we'll see the clear distinction.