Wow what a great thread. So many excellent posts. A couple of thoughts...
Progress isn't subjective so long as you define what the goal is. Progess: Noun 1. A movement toward a goal, or higher stage. As long as two people have the same goal in mind then progress becomes objective. Is the XB1 making progress in sales? Have you made progress towards finishing your book? These are objective questions, not subjective ones.
Subjectivity is not a get out of jail free card for an argument. You just don't see things from a standpoint of philosophy.
[@Soundwave] We are not going to see photo-realistic graphics ever. Artists have to create assets, and only have so much time to do so. Assuming that one day we will have photo-realistic graphics is just as dumb as assuming that one day all animation will have photo-realistic drawings. Do yourself a favor. Download a 3D modeling program and then make something. See how long it takes you to make just a bench that matches current gen graphics demands. Keep in mind that a bench doesn't animate, isn't translucent, and is very geometric. An organic character is infinitely more complex. [/@Soundwave]
The 3DS never died. The Vita was DOA. All the smartphone market did was take the ultra-casuals away from the portable market. The 3DS still gets four to five high profile releases every year. If consumers can't see that, then Nintendo has a serious marketing problem. Also the 3DS still sells just as much as the XB1 and sometimes more.
From 2002 to 2010 I loved Microsoft and seriously appreciated their contribution to the industry. I still do and still think that those years were crucial for the industry as a whole. The entire industry owes a lot to MS. But...
This move is complete suicide. They are just trying to milk their core base for more money, instead of increasing the number of customers that they actually have. Let's sell a new upgraded unit to the same guys every year instead of attempting to gain new customers. And in trying to sell a new upgraded unit every year we will just alienate what little customerbase we have. Every year a few more people will quit being customers and eventually the entire Xbox brand will just die out. Kind of like what is happening to Nintendo, but at a much faster pace.
