Topic: XboxOne ~News/Rumor/Speculation~ Biggest Console Released This Gen!!

[tendoboy1984]

Re playing games streaming: I could see MS (or Nintendo with VC) doing a Netflix-like service where a large catalogue is available all the time for a flat fee and you stream-play what you want.
 
Maybe with console games (not VC or XBLA type games), MS could charge a monthly fee that would let you play up to 3 or 5 selected games at once or something like that.

For VC and XBLA games, this is a great idea. For full-size games, I'd rather have the physical copy of the game.

[NWR_insanolord]

If a streaming service operated more like Netflix, where you pay a flat monthly fee and got access to anything you want, I think it would be more well-received. And more importantly, there are other options for people who want to buy things physically or as downloads. Like he said, options are good but forcing only streaming is a bad idea, especially with internet access in this country in the shape it's in right now.

[tendoboy1984]

If a streaming service operated more like Netflix, where you pay a flat monthly fee and got access to anything you want, I think it would be more well-received. And more importantly, there are other options for people who want to buy things physically or as downloads. Like he said, options are good but forcing only streaming is a bad idea, especially with internet access in this country in the shape it's in right now.

I'm sure there will be options. The movie industry still puts a majority of movies on disc, while Netflix gets a small percentage of new releases.


On the other hand, most music is released digitally (iTunes, Amazon MP3, Google Play), and music CDs are a shrinking market. So there will be a time when the gaming and movie markets fully embrace digital the way the music industry has.


And then there's Steam, which is where most PC games are released now. So we are getting there, but it will be a while before ALL games are digital only. It took the music industry a couple years to fully embrace iTunes, after all.

[TJ Spyke]

Netflix is not streaming only. OnLive is somewhat successful, but is bad for gamers for reasons I already stated. Music is not the same because it's like listening to the radio (even TV shows and movies are different). With music, you can always have a digital or physical copy of the song separate. I should also point out that Pandora and Last.FM are free. If a video game service was FREE too, then streaming-only isn't bad.

[Louieturkey]

Netflix is not streaming only. OnLive is somewhat successful, but is bad for gamers for reasons I already stated. Music is not the same because it's like listening to the radio (even TV shows and movies are different). With music, you can always have a digital or physical copy of the song separate. I should also point out that Pandora and Last.FM are free. If a video game service was FREE too, then streaming-only isn't bad.

Pandora and Last.FM are not free.  They constantly have commercials every 2-4 songs, same as radio.  Your idea of video game streaming, to coincide with the Pandora/Last.FM comparison, would require games to pause every 20-30 minutes and have a commercial and then allow you to play again, a la Hulu with free video streaming.  It's not a good comparison unless you think getting interupted while playing every 30 minutes to get to watch a commercial.  You could include an option like Pandora where you buy a premium account and get rid of the commercials.  Oh wait, that is what OnLive does.

[Ian Sane]

I'm not into the idea of streaming games entirely because it really doesn't fit my schedule.  Sometimes I'll have a week where I play games every single day.  Sometimes a whole month can go by where I play nothing just because that's how my free time worked out.  With the current model I can buy a game or two and maybe I'll play them nonstop for weeks or maybe there will be long stretches of time between plays.  It doesn't matter because the purchase still feels worthwhile.  With a Netflix type of system I could have months where I essentially paid for a new game and never got a chance to play it.  From a financial perspective it's like I bought a game and threw it in the garbage.  Okay, so maybe I wise up and cancel my subscription during a time I figure I won't get much play.  But maybe that one Tuesday night I DO have time and want to play a game.  But do I have to then buy another month for one evening?

A subscription model would cost me a lot more money for a lot less with the way my schedule is.  Ten years ago when I was just some college living at my parents' house it would have been a bargain.  The model of buying a game and playing it whenever I want just works better for my lifestyle and I imagine that would be the same for most people my age.  Now the idea of people paying for game time they never use probably sounds fantastic to Microsoft but I would never pay for it.

[TJ Spyke]

Pandora and Last.FM are not free.  They constantly have commercials every 2-4 songs, same as radio.

Funny, I thought not paying for something meant it was FREE.

[Chozo Ghost]

TJ is right. Just because there are commercials doesn't mean its not free... the commercials are what allows it to be free. Stuff has to be paid for somehow. They aren't going to offer stuff like that at a loss. Its free for you as a user, but the trade off is you have to listen to the commercials.

[Louieturkey]

Pandora and Last.FM are not free.  They constantly have commercials every 2-4 songs, same as radio.

Funny, I thought not paying for something meant it was FREE.

I didn't word that correctly.  let me try again.

Because you are required to listen through commercials, you are, in a sense, "paying" for your streaming music by those commercials.  So in that sense, it is not free.  I was trying to point out that using Pandora as an example of what works for the music industry would not work for the gaming industry because it would be really hard to play a game, have it pause on you to show a commercial every 30 minutes or so, and then start up again.  It's not practical.  You brought up streaming radio.  I was just stating it was not a good example.  Apples to oranges.

[TJ Spyke]

There are iOS apps that show how it can work. Have a ad that shows up before you play a game, and have stuff like load screens feature ads. Like for a FPS, in-between rounds they can play a 15 second ad.

[BlackNMild2k1]

There is also the possibility of in game ads.

Billboards, product placement, sponsorships, etc etc.

[TJ Spyke]

There is also the possibility of in game ads.

Billboards, product placement, sponsorships, etc etc.

True, publishers have to use that to help make the game cheap or free and not just profit for themselves. The worst example I can think of is Fight Night Round 3, which went way overboard (you could barely go 15 seconds without some product being advertised in the game) and EA still charged $60 for it.

So when done right, it can be done.

[Louieturkey]

There are iOS apps that show how it can work. Have a ad that shows up before you play a game, and have stuff like load screens feature ads. Like for a FPS, in-between rounds they can play a 15 second ad.

What happens with the single player parts?

[Ceric]

There are iOS apps that show how it can work. Have a ad that shows up before you play a game, and have stuff like load screens feature ads. Like for a FPS, in-between rounds they can play a 15 second ad.

What happens with the single player parts?

The ads will show on the slow opening doors what are really hidden load times.

[Louieturkey]

Do you all really think ad revenue will be enough to support a streaming service?  In game ads are out because they are in the game and go to the publisher.  Pop up ads work on simple games like solitaire and Angry Birds.  There is a reason Epic did not offer a free version of Infinity Blade.  It's because the ad revenue would not make up for that $7 each sale gets. 

[TJ Spyke]

Ad revenue has been shown to work for some games. Whether it will happen with bigger games is unknown.

[Stogi]

Ad revenue has been shown to work always. If Pepsi could shove their logos on confetti up my dogs ass each day so when he farts, Pepsi confetti would poof everywhere, they would.

Edit: Just saw your title, TJ. Ha

hahaha

[oohhboy]

Glad to see someone else noticed TJ's sudden change in opinion. It was disturbing.

[Louieturkey]

TJ's mainstream opinion is so mainstream. 

[TJ Spyke]

Glad to see someone else noticed TJ's sudden change in opinion. It was disturbing.

Now, I respect my opponent. I think he's a good man. But quite frankly, I agree with everything he just said.

[Chozo Ghost]

As far as advertisements in games go, I've always been fond of the in game advertisements in the Fallout 3 universe for things like Nuka-Cola and Sugar Bombs, and stuff like that. Of course these products don't exist, but they are in game advertisements which add flavor to the game. I wish those things did exist, though. A Cola which glows purple?! Who the hell wouldn't want that?

[nickmitch]

Honestly, I'd question what effects it would have on my body before even considering the taste.

[Louieturkey]

Now, I respect my opponent. I think he's a good man. But quite frankly, I agree with everything he just said.

Greater words have never been said.

[NWR_insanolord]

Glad to see someone else noticed TJ's sudden change in opinion. It was disturbing.

Now, I respect my opponent. I think he's a good man. But quite frankly, I agree with everything he just said.

I will always give an applaud for a Futurama reference.

[BlackNMild2k1]

http://www.examiner.com/article/microsoft-set-to-reveal-xbox-smart-glass-tablet-at-this-years-e3?cid=db_articles

summary: tablet access and streaming through the Xbox360.