http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/microsoft-is-killing-surface-with-breakdancing-and-its-going-to-hurt-xbox-o

Microsoft wrote off $900 million due to unsold inventory of the Surface RT, a product with few supporters. Even the Surface Pro, the version of the tablet that uses real Windows programs and could hypothetically replace both a tablet and a laptop, has been released to middling reviews. Its hard to find people with a good thing to say about the platform.

Well, other than Penny Arcades Mike Krahulik.

We talked about this issue briefly in Melbourne during PAX Aus, and he spoke in glowing terms about how easy its been to draw and save work on the go. The Surface Pro also plays a good selection of games, so its doubled as a portable gaming device while he travels.

During the Make a Strip panel, an institution at PAX, he was able to connect the device to the theaters projectors with a single HDMI cable. In the past hes used a combination of hardware, it took a long time to set up, and the results were not as good as what he could create in the office.

Jerry Holkins, the other half of Penny Arcade, told me that the results with the Surface Pro were just as good as a standard strip, while taking less time than previous portable solutions. The work is saved in the cloud, where Krahulik can access it when he returns to the office.

This conversation amazed me. Im still not that interested in a Surface Pro, as Im not a digital artist and prefer to game on my 3DS or Vita while Im traveling, but someone was finally able to explain in clear, real-world terms how the hardware had made their life and work better. The Surface is an impressive piece of hardware for artists. For reference, this is a commercial that Microsoft released for the hardware:

What the living shit is that supposed to sell? I don't want to breakdance, I want to know how the hardware I buy will allow me to work better, faster, or offer an enjoyable experience. Mike's quick explanation of how he's able to work on his art with the Surface is worth about a dozen of those commercials. Someone finally came up with a great use for the hardware, and I heard about it from a co-worker, not Microsoft's marketing department.

Microsoft thinks the best use for the Surface is to throw paper up in the air and beatbox during meetings.

 

Oh, for **** sake.

This isn't just the Surface

This isn't an uncommon problem, and it affects every company that sells hardware. How does the product make my life better? What does it do better than anything else? How will it fit into my life?

It's Saturday as I write this, and I'm watching Phineas and Ferb on Netflix with my kids through my Xbox 360. Bringing Netflix to consoles was a great thing, and increased the value of the 360, PS3, and Wii.

At no point during my afternoon did I think that this experience could be improved by waving my hands around like an asshole to make the next episode play. That's the pitch that Microsoft made during the Xbox One's reveal: That the mandatory Kinect would make your life better because now you can talk to your television. Why hit a button on your remote and do something quickly and easily when you can wave at your TV or talk to it to try to get to where you need to go?

Microsoft is trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist with hardware that is expensive, required, and is less reliable than a controller or remote control. Oh, and it's going to take longer to achieve basic interactions. That's a shitty pitch.

This was before the disastrous announcement of the system's DRM, which was filled with neat additions like the family sharing plan, the idea that you could access your games from any console, and removed the necessity for the disc altogether.

Microsoft could have released a series of videos that showed all the benefits of this system, and they were many, but instead they shat out a cold, impersonal web pagethat basically listed all the things you couldn't do with the new system. Even executives could barely explain what would be good about these policies, and their answers were often contradictory.

This allowed Sony to not just kick Microsoft while it was down, but slit the company's virtual throat and leave them bleeding out at E3. The messaging at the press conference was perfect: They're focused on games, they're less expensive, and you can trade games with friends. While Microsoft struggled to explain why you need three operating systems to call your family while watching sporting events, Sony released this.

 

Sony has been making noise about how it's better for developers by inviting well-respected indies onstage during the E3 press conference, throwing parties for the press and smaller developers during industry events, and trusting their developer friends to say great things about Sony to the press. They ensured this would happen by doing a tricky, underhanded thing: They treated developers well. Microsoft breakdanced, Sony explained how they'll make your life better than the alternative.

Microsoft's executives gave the press vague platitudes about publishing agreements staying the same as they had under the 360. These are the policies that have caused developers to gush to the press with horror stories about how Microsoft had hurt their business. The one high profile Windows 8 exclusive, Skulls of the Shogun, that came from an indie developer caused the developer to run screaming the other way.

When Microsoft finally caved on allowing developers to release games without a publisher, they did so via a brief, text-only announcement with no details, no press release, and many developers expressing skepticism to the press. The company is running a clinic on how to push the bad news as hard as you can while burying the good stuff.

On the other hand, Microsoft did a great job of showing off the software at E3, and offered the press a great event where we could play the games, mingle with the developers, and maybe have a beverage before they brought out the Shins to play so no one could hear what was being said. **** your games and the actual use of the hardware, Microsoft needs to make sure you understand that it's hip. It has to breakdance in front of you.

This is Microsoft's biggest problem

Microsoft's inability to express what's great about its own hardware, while leading with its own weaknesses, is baffling. Mike did more to sell me on the Surface in five minutes than the $1 billion marketing campaign for Windows 8 and the hardware. How did Microsoft sell us on Windows 8? By focusing on how you can touch images as a password.

Goddamnit.

The mandatory Kinect doesn't just make the Xbox One more expensive than its competitors, it also seems to be the work of advertisors and the marketing department more than a peripheral that gamers actually want or need.

If Microsoft had bothered to show a single game that is actually made better by the Kinect for the Xbox One, it would be one thing, but such a game doesn't seem to exist. Microsoft's marketing department is going to make the Kinect happen whether you want one or not, and it's going to break out all the Shins, breakdancing, and awkward ads that it takes to make that happen.

What Microsoft needs is a game, video, ad, something that explains why the Xbox One is the best at what it does. The company is banking on the idea that we've been waiting for a box that acts as a middle manager for our cable content so we can wave our arms at it. Having an HDMI input in a console isn't a feature, it's a failure. That port is a press release that says the cable companies are more powerful than Microsoft. It's the only box you need, after you hook up all those other boxes you need.

I keep thinking of Mike explaining how great the Surface is for artists, and then I think about all my friends who would likely buy the hardware after hearing his stories. I wonder why Microsoft is unwilling, or unable, to share what makes their products so special. Then I look at the Xbox One, and all I see is breakdancing.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-ps3-system-software-memory

By Richard Leadbetter Published Friday, 26 July 2013

PlayStation 4 reserves 3.5GB of its 8GB GDDR5 memory for the operating system, leaving 4.5GB of space for game code, according to current PlayStation 4 documentation shown to Digital Foundry by a well-placed development source. However, further sources suggest that an additional 1GB of "flexible memory" may be reclaimed from the OS reservation, based on availability.

Sony's internal docs say that 4.5GB is the baseline amount of guaranteed memory available for game-makers (note the memory usage of the Killzone: Shadow Fall demo) and most likely what the lion's share of launch titles will be using. However, other sources close to Sony indicate that developers can request up to an additional gigabyte of "flexible memory", and use it to boost elements of the game - but only if the background OS can spare it. We're told that incorporating this isn't trivial, and it may well be that to begin with only first-party developers target its usage.

Current PlayStation 4 dev kits have a "Game Memory Budget Mode" in the debug settings featuring two options: normal and large. The normal mode setting confirms that 4.5GB of memory is usable for game applications. The large mode increases this considerably to 5.25GB, but the docs are clear that the extra RAM here is only available for application development, presumably in order to house debugging data. From what we understand, the extra gig of flexible memory appears to work in addition to these allowances.

The news that the PS4's OS reservation is in the same ballpark as Xbox One's equivalent 3GB allocation is sure to surprise many, especially bearing in mind that previously leaked Sony docs have only spoken of a 512MB allocation for the system software - though this information hails from the era where the new PlayStation was slated to ship with only 4GB of memory.

"Current Sony SDK docs say that 4.5GB is the baseline amount of guaranteed memory available for game makers - and most likely what the lion's share of launch titles will be using."

Guerrilla Games developed its own profiling tools for PS4 during the development of Killzone: Shadow Fall. The CPU performance analysis tool is pictured here, strongly suggesting that six of the eight AMD CPU cores are available to developers.

There are many parallels with the Xbox One. Both consoles allocate two Jaguar CPU cores to the operating system, and what sounds like a disproportionately higher level of RAM than one might expect - especially in comparison to PC, where Windows operates perfectly well with less than a gig of memory at its disposal. However, in a world where even the Wii U reserves 50 per cent of its onboard RAM for the operating system, the big bump in PS4's OS allocation is perhaps not completely surprising. The console's leap from 4GB to 8GB has seemingly opened the door for Sony to be much more ambitious about what tasks the PlayStation 4 performs in the background and in parallel with gameplay.

Microsoft has already showcased Xbox One's abilities in this regard, but our sources say that PlayStation 4 is also capable of similar feats, perhaps in a manner more closely resembling that of PS Vita - the game is paused, apps are switched over seamlessly and, once exited, gameplay continues without having to restart the code. The convenience and functionality is undeniable, but it comes at a cost to memory consumption.

As it stands, both next-gen consoles will launch with 8GB of unified memory, but with a significantly diminished amount actually available to games developers. However, a big area of difference between Sony and Microsoft's approaches to OS allocation could come in their future plans for the reserved RAM. A Microsoft insider tells us that the engineers behind the Xbox One specifically chose 3GB in order to allow the background platform to evolve over a ten-year life-cycle - it's very hard to add features if the pool of available RAM is reduced from its initial level. The reserved RAM allocation there is set in stone, and is unlikely to change.

However, sources close to Sony suggest that the PS4 approach is perhaps more flexible - the current allocation in terms of both CPU cores and memory could be reduced once the operating system is complete and then streamlined. In short, while there is no guarantee of change in the future, Sony is at least leaving the door open to the opportunity and the R&D team has experience in reducing the OS footprint - just as it did on PlayStation 3.

In the here and now, the template is now set for the next-gen launch period, and the focus from both platform holders is that while games command the majority of system resources, supplementary services and apps are clearly very important indeed. Microsoft has already set out its stall in this regard - now it remains to be seen what additional features PlayStation 4 brings to the table above and beyond its core gaming functions.

So basically, right now, 3.5 is locked up in the OS, but as the generation goes on and developers need more Sony can allow the system to use more RAM as needed as they streamline the OS. Meanwhile, MS has locked up their RAM for the OS because the background/TV/Sports/Movie services is more important than games.

Well, what happened? How did MS screw up such a massive advantage at the start of Gen 7? This is what scares me about the Xbone. Once they sell enough, why bother making good games?

http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/18/4534374/ps4-will-support-ps3-wireless-headsets

The upcoming PlayStation 4 console will support previous generation PlayStation 3 wireless headsets, a Sony official at San Diego Comic-Con told Polygon.

PS4 consoles will still ship with their own mono headset in earbud form comparatively, late last month Microsoft confirmed no Xbox One headset will be included in the base system of the console as the system will instead emphasize Kinect-driven voice inputs. Unlike PS4, previous-generation headsets will not be compatible with Xbox One controllers due to a new headset adapter port.

PlayStation 4 is slated to release this November for $399. Sony is debuting the console during this week's Comic-Con International: San Diego, giving attendees the opportunity to go hands-on with the next-gen system.

We've reached out to Sony for full confirmation and will update the piece when further information is available.

Sony gives you a headset for free, but gives you the option to use your old ones if you have them. Thanks Sony!

http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/15/4524330/xbox-one-booed-out-of-evo-2013

Xbox One booed out of EVO 2013

By Emily Gera on Jul 15, 2013 at 7:43a @twitgera

Audience members turned ugly at last week's EVO 2013 tournament, according to a video posted on YouTube showing developer and manufacturer Double Helix and Mad Catz booed off stage at the mention of Xbox One.

Representatives of both companies were on hand to show the upcoming fightstick accessories for Killer Instinct but ended up greeted by a room of boos when Microsoft's controversial console was mentioned by the duo.

You can check out the video in full above.

Killer Instinct's first and last appearance at Evo! Tough break for MS, but Killer Instinct really did look terrible. C-C-C-C-C-Combo Break X100 in one match doesn't make up for the stiff animations and horrible decision to do a F2P model with one of gaming's most storied franchises.

Via The Guardian

Microsoft has collaborated closely with US intelligence services to allow users' communications to be intercepted, including helping the National Security Agency to circumvent the company's own encryption, according to top-secret documents obtained by the Guardian...

The company worked with the FBI this year to allow the NSA easier access via Prism to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which now has more than 250 million users worldwide.

The NSA has devoted substantial efforts in the last two years to work with Microsoft to ensure increased access to Skype, which has an estimated 663 million global users.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data

Via Geoff Keighley

https://twitter.com/geoffkeighley/status/351744837617328129 

All Things Digital

Don Mattrick, the president of Microsofts Interactive Entertainment Business which centers on the Xbox and all the software giants gaming and entertainment efforts is leaving the company, said multiple sources close to the situation.

These sources added that the high-profile executive is also close to taking a top job at Zynga, the troubled online social gaming company, possibly as its CEO and working in close partnership with its founder and current CEO Mark Pincus.

Sources said the announcement of Mattricks appointment could be made as soon as today, after the markets close.

If it happens, the hire would be a massive one for Zynga, which has been hit by a series of problems since its IPO. Pincus has been struggling to move the company into mobile quickly, as its once strong Web and Facebook business has waned. That has included a major layoff recently, as well as closures of a number of offices outside of its San Francisco HQ.

If he, in fact, appoints a new CEO to take over the reins to a very experienced exec like Mattrick who has worked on many turnarounds it is a major step by Pincus, who has held the top job there since its founding. While it is not unusual for a founder to give up such power, it certainly underscores Pincus commitment to reviving Zynga.

Interestingly, Mattrick has also been on the short list of the top execs being considered to run Electronic Arts, another gaming giant that has faced a number of challenges and whose former CEO was ousted a few months ago.

The move appears to be only unrelated to the massive restructuring now taking place at Microsoft, and talks between him and Zynga has been going on for some time.

But it is a big blow to the Microsoft which does not have someone to replace Mattrick right now despite some recent high-profile missteps around its flagship Xbox product.

As the interactive entertainment boss, Mattrick has been a public presence at both of Microsofts recent Xbox One events the nationally televised unveiling in May, and the E3 update in June. Gamers disappointed with the lesser focus on games at the May event blasted execs like Mattrick in their online grumblings.

At E3, Sony won the image battle by reaffirming its old DRM policies vs. the Xboxs new ones, which had angered some gamers by requiring regular online connectivity. After E3, Microsoft abandoned its new digital check-in plans and reverted back to its old DRM policies, too.

On May 21st, 2013, Mattrick and team shared a vision for a new generation of games, TV and entertainment with the announcement of Xbox One the all-in-one entertainment system built for the future and designed to deliver new experiences across all types of content with unparalleled power from the cloud and an immensely improved Kinect sensor. Mattrick has also spearheaded the development of brand new entertainment offerings via a landmark partnership with the NFL and collaborating with industry luminary Steven Spielberg to bring a new Halo live action TV series to life.

Mattrick joined Microsoft in 2007, after a long career in the gaming sector, starting at Distinctive Software, which he founded at 17 years old. It was later acquired by EA, where he eventually headed its global studios and research and development. According to his bio, since Mattrick began overseeing the Xbox division, the Xbox 360 installed base grew from 10 million to nearly 80 million worldwide while Xbox Live membership increased from 6 million to nearly 50 million.

The Canadian native has long wanted to move back to the Bay area, where has has a home, said sources, another important factor in this move.

Both Microsoft and Zynga declined to comment.

http://allthingsd.com/20130701/exclusive-microsofts-entertainment-head-don-mattrick-leaving-to-take-top-role-possibly-ceo-at-zynga/?mod=googlenews

That was actually well written. Hes tweets for the past week have been really bad and made him sound like an a*s. trasherhead

[QUOTE="DontGetBigIdeas"][QUOTE="ActicEdge"]

I actually just straight up disagree. I know its hard for people to swallow but no human being has time to play all the games focused at the 18-35 males demographic. Publishers need to expand their range and stop focusing on delivering high quality content to exclusively that demographic. We can't buy all of it to keep developers of mid tier games alive at they level they want. Its not possible, it makes no sense why they don't scale back and focus on making a broader range of content. Shit like Far Cry or Cod that has multi million dollar marketing campaigns and massive AAA developers are not in trouble. You never hear Activision, EA or Ubi say, Cod, Battlefield or Far Cry underperfomed. Its all the middle of the pack stuff that crashes and burns. In the same notion, video game developers should suck up their dreams because you're gonna constantly be outta a job if all you wanna do is chase triple A games. You can't all make them, they don't all review like them and the market can't support every one of your attempts. Sorry.

ActicEdge

There can't be a between. If they want to make smaller titles they have to take people off AAA titles. Otherwise they have to expand and that would flat out be dumb. That's what I'm saying publisher have to STOP making as many AAA games as they currently do and expand to other areas. Diversify into other demographics if they want their current method to work. Its not about buying time, its just about selling to profit well. If publishers wanted games out in a year they would hire 1000 person teams and they could get that done. That's outrageously expensive to do however. If you want more diversit in games, you really either want indie games or you want less AAA blockbuster games. You CAN'T have both, there is no market for it proven by this generation.

You don't need to take 50 members from The Last of Us and shove them into a new team to make that small game you want. You just need a developer with an idea that really doesn't require a ton of funding, and the help of a publisher to get the game out there. The main reason small developers have so much trouble in getting their games out there, and turn to Steam, is that they need Publishers to get them on the consoles. Now Publishers are actively seeking those players out to join them and work on smaller projects to buy the AAA guys time.

This generation hasn't proven this model can't work because this model is only beginning right now.