Random Video Game Talk

[JeffHCross]

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/1..._for_games.php

U.S. bill proposes tobacco-style warning labels for games

Called the Violence in Video Games Labeling Act (H.R. 4204, PDF link), the bipartisan bill seeks to label games in the U.S. with a message that reads "WARNING: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior" on their packaging (or in another clear and conspicuous location, if distributed digitally).

And the ECA has responded:

“The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2012” is an unconstitutional restraint on speech that would harm consumers and parents alike. Please join with the ECA. Let your Representatives know that you want them to let the industry and parents continue to use a system that works, and have Congress stay focused on the real problems facing our nation.

Fill in your zip code below, read the letter, then click the Send This Message button and your letter will be emailed to your member of Congress.

http://action.theeca.com/p/dia/actio...ction_KEY=5716

[morsdraconis]

Good. Hopefully the power of the internet can have some type of effect on this just like it did with SOPA and PIPA.

[JeffHCross]

Good. Hopefully the power of the internet can have some type of effect on this just like it did with SOPA and PIPA.

Well, thankfully, there doesn't seem to be practically any support in Congress for this, unlike SOPA and PIPA.

[JBHuskers]

Another one bites the dust on the CoD team.

Creative Strategist Robert Bowling resigns from Activision: http://t.co/B5J6A8Bk

[NatureBoy]

Rumors suggest two new Xbox consoles on the way.


Although Microsoft has confirmed that we won't see a new Xbox this year, rumors of future consoles continue to swirl. That's right: consoles, plural. The latest snippets of information leaked by sources supposedly in the know point to a pair of new Xbox consoles, one of which is due out next year.

The Xbox Lite will reportedly arrive in time for the 2013 holiday season. With an expected price tag of just $100, it seems likely to be a popular item. This won't be a discounted version of the current Xbox hardware, though. VR-Zone claims the Lite will use an ARM-based chip rather than the PowerPC-based Xenon CPU in the Xbox 360. No details are provided regarding the Xbox Lite's GPU, but I suspect it won't be difficult to match the horsepower available in the 360's Xenos graphics processor. At the very least, the budget Xbox should be capable of handling the casual games sold through Microsoft's Live Arcade.

Casual gaming seems to be getting more popular—Angry Birds Space was downloaded 10 million times in just 3 days—and a budget Xbox could serve that market well. It would also give Microsoft an inexpensive conduit for other content, such as music and video, and provide another platform that supports Kinect-style motion controls.

According to VR-Zone, Kinect is due for an upgrade in 2015. That's when the site says we can also expect a truly next-generation Xbox, which is purportedly coming a full decade after the 360's initial release.

http://techreport.com/discussions.x/22698

[JeffHCross]

That seems like a very dangerous direction (financially) to go in.

[DariusLock]

That is stupid. Sony just needs to put together a solid system and finally blow them out of the water.

[I OU a Beatn]

Sony needs to severely beef up their online interface and features. That's the only complaint I have about my PS3.

That just goes to show how rumors are. I read a rumor about the smaller Xbox not even a week ago, but it said it was a simply slimmed down version of the 360 that will sell for $100 and will be used to make Kinect more appealing price wise. I don't think anyone truly knows what the next generation systems are going to be like except for Microsoft and Sony.

[JeffHCross]

I don't think anyone truly knows what the next generation systems are going to be like except for Microsoft and Sony.

I genuinely believe that they're far enough off that even Sony and M$ don't have a clear picture of the next generation right now.

[morsdraconis]

2015 before they update this piece of shit hardware again?

Good god, that's terrible.

Sony needs to severely beef up their online interface and features. That's the only complaint I have about my PS3.

That just goes to show how rumors are. I read a rumor about the smaller Xbox not even a week ago, but it said it was a simply slimmed down version of the 360 that will sell for $100 and will be used to make Kinect more appealing price wise. I don't think anyone truly knows what the next generation systems are going to be like except for Microsoft and Sony.

I highly disagree. They need to do WAY more than just beef up their online interface and features. The dashboard for the PS3 runs like a bunch of amateur programmers got lazy and just pumped some shit out to meet a deadline. It's terrible looking, clunky as hell, and the whole idea of having to install parts of the game but not be able to install ALL of the game (to DRASTICALLY speed up load times) is absolutely atrocious.

There are quite a few things that need to be done to make the PS3 not a steaming pile of shit and until they do those things, they will never catch the 360. Beyond all else, they need to quit fuckin' around with this free online shit and just make you pay that way they have no excuses for their shit looking like amateur hour.

[DariusLock]

double post.

[DariusLock]

2015 before they update this piece of shit hardware again?

Good god, that's terrible.



I highly disagree. They need to do WAY more than just beef up their online interface and features. The dashboard for the PS3 runs like a bunch of amateur programmers got lazy and just pumped some shit out to meet a deadline. It's terrible looking, clunky as hell, and the whole idea of having to install parts of the game but not be able to install ALL of the game (to DRASTICALLY speed up load times) is absolutely atrocious.

There are quite a few things that need to be done to make the PS3 not a steaming pile of shit and until they do those things, they will never catch the 360. Beyond all else, they need to quit fuckin' around with this free online shit and just make you pay that way they have no excuses for their shit looking like amateur hour.

Don't know about you but I got a PS3 to play games not sit on the dashboard . There's different themes and stuff you can do to adjust it, XBox's is confusing as hell to me. And load times on the PS3 are not out of this world or crazy...I got time to wait 1 minute for something to load.

[I OU a Beatn]

2015 before they update this piece of shit hardware again?

Good god, that's terrible.



I highly disagree. They need to do WAY more than just beef up their online interface and features. The dashboard for the PS3 runs like a bunch of amateur programmers got lazy and just pumped some shit out to meet a deadline. It's terrible looking, clunky as hell, and the whole idea of having to install parts of the game but not be able to install ALL of the game (to DRASTICALLY speed up load times) is absolutely atrocious.

There are quite a few things that need to be done to make the PS3 not a steaming pile of shit and until they do those things, they will never catch the 360. Beyond all else, they need to quit fuckin' around with this free online shit and just make you pay that way they have no excuses for their shit looking like amateur hour.

That's why I said interface. The XMB, while it's easy to use, blows. I still don't understand why I have to wait like 20 seconds for the XMB to load when I'm using in game. I mean, when I'm on 360 and I load up the in game interface, it's there within 1 second. They need to improve the interface before all else, but if you look at Vita's interface, I don't think Sony has learned the required lesson.

When I say features, I mean parties, cross game chat, easier trophy comparison, better user profiles, cross game invites, etc...

...and yes, load times on the PS3 are out of this world. It's the number 1 reason I don't use it more than I do. It's especially bad when buying a new game. I tried Resistance 3 a few weeks ago for the first time and I shit you not, I didn't get to play until over an hour after I started downloading updates, installing it, etc...That's ridiculous. I've never had to wait more than 5 seconds for an update on Live to not only download, but install. I've waited over an hour for some of the ones on PS3. It's annoying and inconvenient. Another example is what I said earlier about the in game XMB - there's no way I should have to wait 20 seconds for the thing to load so I can use it. Sony could fix that problem by getting rid of the numerous icons that you can't even use anyway when you access the in game XMB.

Sony and Microsoft both need to get rid of the bullshit ads that infest their dashboards. I'm paying $50 a year for Plus and I've been with Live for 5 straight years now, so I really don't see why I should have to look at Chuck Norris talking about how much he loves World of Warcraft.

[gschwendt]

That's why I said interface. The XMB, while it's easy to use, blows. I still don't understand why I have to wait like 20 seconds for the XMB to load when I'm using in game. I mean, when I'm on 360 and I load up the in game interface, it's there within 1 second. They need to improve the interface before all else, but if you look at Vita's interface, I don't think Sony has learned the required lesson.

It all goes back to the whole in-game XMB thing... they didn't budget the RAM for that in the first place so they essentially had to squeeze what little they could to give us what we have now. That's the PS3's biggest issue is RAM and the reason we don't have cross game chat most likely.

[oweb26]

That's why I said interface. The XMB, while it's easy to use, blows. I still don't understand why I have to wait like 20 seconds for the XMB to load when I'm using in game. I mean, when I'm on 360 and I load up the in game interface, it's there within 1 second. They need to improve the interface before all else, but if you look at Vita's interface, I don't think Sony has learned the required lesson.

When I say features, I mean parties, cross game chat, easier trophy comparison, better user profiles, cross game invites, etc...

...and yes, load times on the PS3 are out of this world. It's the number 1 reason I don't use it more than I do. It's especially bad when buying a new game. I tried Resistance 3 a few weeks ago for the first time and I shit you not, I didn't get to play until over an hour after I started downloading updates, installing it, etc...That's ridiculous. I've never had to wait more than 5 seconds for an update on Live to not only download, but install. I've waited over an hour for some of the ones on PS3. It's annoying and inconvenient. Another example is what I said earlier about the in game XMB - there's no way I should have to wait 20 seconds for the thing to load so I can use it. Sony could fix that problem by getting rid of the numerous icons that you can't even use anyway when you access the in game XMB.

Sony and Microsoft both need to get rid of the bullshit ads that infest their dashboards. I'm paying $50 a year for Plus and I've been with Live for 5 straight years now, so I really don't see why I should have to look at Chuck Norris talking about how much he loves World of Warcraft.

Because on top of your 5 a month they must get there additonal 2000/month for it being there + incentives per click ( pure guess ) so thats why you must look at chuck norris talking about WOW

[I OU a Beatn]

It all goes back to the whole in-game XMB thing... they didn't budget the RAM for that in the first place so they essentially had to squeeze what little they could to give us what we have now. That's the PS3's biggest issue is RAM and the reason we don't have cross game chat most likely.

Right, but why don't they remove the icons that you can't use? It loads the entire XMB when you can really only use your friend's list and a few of the settings. They could remove all the icons that can't be used and it would instantly make it quicker. I doubt that would fix the in game XMB lag, but it would at least make the process a little more bearable.

The Vita doesn't even have an in game interface. Whenever you bring up your friend's list, it minimizes the game app style and it's absolutely as quick as hell doing it, and while I don't like that interface either, I do appreciate the snappiness in which is operates.

[NatureBoy]

The Next PlayStation is Called Orbis, Sources Say. Here are the Details.

While the official reveal of Sony's next home console could still be months away, if not longer, Kotaku has today learned some important details concerning the PlayStation 3's successor.

For one, the console's name—or at least its codename/working title—is apparently Orbis. And it's being planned for release in time for the 2013 holiday season.

The details in this story come from a reliable source who is not authorized to talk publicly about next-gen hardware but has shared correct information with us before. What they're telling us in specifics matches much of what we've heard and reported in generalities in recent weeks.

A Sony spokesperson declined to comment about these details, citing the company's policy not to comment on "rumors or speculation."

WHAT'S IN A NAME

Orbis. Say it out loud. Sounds a little like the word "four", doesn't it? Only it doesn't make the next PlayStation sound like a bad horror movie sequel.

It's also a name loaded with meaning. The word "Orbis" itself, from Latin, means circle, or ring, or even orbit. Not terribly helpful. Combine it with the name of Sony's new handheld system, though, and you have the common term Orbis Vita (or, in strict Latin, Orbis Vitae). Which means "The circle of life". Could the Vita be playing a very important role in the development and use of the next PlayStation home console? Maybe!

Such symbolism also suggests that rather than being a codename, like most companies employ when still developing a console (think NGP, or Durango), this might actually be the machine's final name. We don't know that, though, so keep an open mind about things.

Type in Vita.SCEdevnet.com and you arrive at Sony's portal for Vita developers. Same with NGP.SCEdevnet.com, referencing the former codename for the Vita. The PS4 version of that address gets you nowhere. PS3 does, as does Orbis.SCEDev.net, though not to any Orbis-specific portions of the site.

THE NEXT PLAYSTATION, AT A GLANCE
Is called, or at least carries the working codename, "Orbis".
Is scheduled for a Holiday 2013 release.
Won't be backwards compatible with PS3 games.
Will lock new games to a PSN account as an anti-used games measure.
New games can be bought either on Blu-Ray or downloaded.
Current specs are an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU

CURRENT SPECS

Our main source supplied some basic specs for the console, but as the future is always in motion, bear in mind these could easily change between now and the Orbis' retail release. Still, if you'd like to know what developers are being told to plan for now, here you go.
AMD x64 CPU
AMD Southern Islands GPU

The former, that's largely something we've heard before, but the latter is interesting. That's the name given to many of AMD's 2012 roster of high-end PC cards. The PS4's GPU in particular, we're told, will be capable of displaying Orbis games at a resolution of up to 4096x2160, which is far in excess of the needs of most current HDTV sets. It'll also be capable of playing 3D games in 1080p (the PS3 could only safely manage 3D at 720p).

NEXT YEAR

Our main source tell us that "select developers" have been receiving dev kits for the new console since the beginning of this year. Revised and improved versions of these kits were sent out around GDC, while more finalised beta units will be shipped to developers towards the end of 2012.

That should hopefully give developers plenty of time to have launch games ready for the Orbis' retail release, which will be in time for the 2013 holiday season. If you can remember the PS3 launch—it's OK if you can't, it was a while ago—that too was in time for the holiday shopping season (November 2006 for Japan and North America).

SO LONG, PS3 GAMES

Remember how the PlayStation 3 swiftly dropped the ability to play PS2 games? Well, our main source tell us the Orbis won't even bother, and that Sony has no plans to offer backwards compatibility for its existing catalogue of PS3 games.

SO LONG, USED GAMES

BACK IN DECEMBER... A post left on Pastebin back in December also referred to the PlayStation 4 as Orbis, calling it a codename in the same vein as Microsoft's Durango. The system specs in that post differ significantly from what Kotaku has heard, and the lack of a hard drive by default goes against the idea of downloading full games to the system.

The Pastebin post also mentions that big name developers like EA were disappointed by an Orbis much less powerful than Microsoft's next machine, so there's a chance that it's the story of an earlier prototype that didn't make the grade. We've reached out to EA for comment.

Just like the next Xbox/Durango, we've heard from multiple sources that the Orbis will likewise have some kind of anti-used games measures built into the console. Here's how our main source says it's currently shaping up: new games for the system will be available one of two ways, either on a Blu-Ray disc or as a PSN download (yes, even full retail titles). If you buy the disc, it must be locked to a single PSN account, after which you can play the game, save the whole thing to your HDD, or peg it as "downloaded" in your account history and be free to download it at a later date.

Don't think you can simply buy the disc and stay offline, though; like many PC games these days, you'll need to have a PSN account and be online to even get the thing started.

If you then decide to trade that disc in, the pre-owned customer picking it up will be limited in what they can do. While our sources were unclear on how exactly the pre-owned customer side of things would work, it's believed used games will be limited to a trial mode or some other form of content restriction, with consumers having to pay a fee to unlock/register the full game.

This would allow used games to continue to be sold at outlets such as GameStop, while also appeasing major publishers who would no longer have to implement their own haphazard approaches to "online passes".

That's all we've got for you at the moment. Remember, none of this information is confirmed, and even the information that is locked down in March 2012 may change before the console's eventual release. This is just what we've been told Sony is working on and planning for as of today. That being the case, how do you think it's shaping up?

http://kotaku.com/5896996/the-next-p...re-the-details

[I OU a Beatn]

1. Sony(and Microsoft if they do it) are stupid as shit if they actually go through with this no used games thing. It wont affect me, but they will really fuck themselves over. Gamestop has already said they wont sell the system if it doesn't support used games, and there's a TON of people who buy used games, so I fail to see how Microsoft or Sony thinks eliminating used games would be smart.

2. Must be connected to the network to play games? LOL. That is a disaster waiting to happen. What happens when Sony inevitably gets hacked again? What happens when Live has another 2 week long down time like a few Christmases ago? The people who paid money for those games and that system are basically fucked. That is an unbelievably stupid idea and I surely hope Sony is smart enough to not do that. Besides that, I'm sure there's quite a few people who buy game systems and don't even connect them to the internet. Why miss out on that potential market?

[steelerfan]

I would guess that both of your points, IOU, revolve around used games. I'm also guessing that Sony has a monetary motive, in the form of developers offering money to them, if they work toward killing the used market.

I bet the developers see the dollars they're losing to the used market and have no qualms with parting with some of those potential profits if Sony and MS do whatever it takes to kill the used market.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

[CLW]

So.... if this report is true does that kill the rental industry like GameFly?