Interesting
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Faster GPU
Microsoft Confirms Xbox One GPU Boost
Clock speed increased from 800 MHz to 853.
AUGUST 2, 2013
Following recent rumors about changes to Xbox One hardware, Microsoft confirmed today that the clock speed of Xbox One has been increased. Speaking on Major Nelson’s podcast, Xbox One chief product officer Marc Whitten explained that as the system approaches launch, Microsoft has made a few changes to finalize internal specs.
“This is the time when we’ve gone from the theory of how the hardware works - what we think the yield is going to look like, what is the thermal envelope, how do things come together - to actually having it in our hands,” Whitten explained. “That’s the time when you really start tweaking the knobs. Either your theory was dead on or you were too conservative or you were a little too aggressive. And an example of that is we’ve tweaked up the clock speed on our GPU, from 800 MHz to 853 MHz. Just an example of how you really start landing the program as you get closer to launch.”
Whitten also confirmed that Xbox One’s graphics driver has been changed, explaining, “This is the time where developers have the final dev kits in their hands and are really working closely with us on how things have come together. Since E3, an example is we’ve dropped in what we internally call our ‘mono driver.’ It’s our graphics driver that really is 100% optimized for the Xbox One hardware.”
“It’s a super exciting time,” Whitten said. “This is the time when you’ve gone from all of these specs and all of these arguments over the last several years to having the product, and really starting to try it internally. We’re running our internal beta and using it at home and starting to see the product really come together.”
Whitten also discussed Microsoft’s recent changes to indie publishing, reiterating that more details will be coming at Gamescom in Germany (likely during Microsoft’s Xbox One showcase on August 20th).
“The team is working really hard,” Whitten concluded. “The team is so passionate about shipping a great product so that people have a great experience come this fall. We’re just very, very focused on continuing to use the beta, take feedback, really refine the experience, work with our content partners. Every day it’s about ‘how do we make Xbox One better today?’”
Xbox One is currently scheduled to launch in November for $499 / £429 / €499 / AU$599. The console is still available for pre-order, though Day One editions are currently sold out at most retailers.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Xbox One Used Game Policy Reversal
In the days leading up to E3, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) revealed its new policies regarding used game sales and a required internet connection for its upcoming next-generation video game console, the Xbox One.
The handicapping of used game sales and the requirement to log in to the internet every 24 hours struck many as unfriendly to consumers, and especially lower-income consumers who might have poor internet connections.
Xbox One owners would be able to sell used games at the discretion of game publishers, and would have new lending restrictions on games—though these new restrictions came with the new ability to lend digital games, something currently not available on most platforms.
The new restrictions were grim news for game retailer GameStop GME +0.82% (NASDAQ:GME) casting a shadow over the company’s big used-game business.
Then at E3, Sony SNE -1.55% announced that it would make no similar policy changes. Used games would be handled the same as ever, and no internet connection would be required to play offline games, though a subscription to PlayStation Plus would be required for online gaming.
The crowd, quite literally, went wild:
Notably, Sony’s positive reception was for making no changes at all. Had Microsoft not already set the stage with new used game policies, there would have been no thunder for Sony to steal in the first place.
Still, Microsoft paid close attention to the fan and critical response, and one thing was undeniably clear: in this lap of the console wars, Sony was giving the Xbox One a run for its money.
Days later, Microsoft announced that it was reversing its policies entirely, stripping away the 24-hour online log in requirement, and reverting the used game and game-lending policy back to the status quo.
“I think consumers didn’t like their approach, so the fact they went back and listened to the consumers and gave them something different is a good move to ensure the new consoles [achieve] their potential,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told GamesIndustry International.
GameStop agreed, and saw an immediate boost following Microsoft’s capitulation on used games.
“GameStop welcomes today’s announcement from Microsoft about changes in functionality for its next-generation console, the Xbox One,” the company said in a statement.
“This is great news for gamers and we applaud Microsoft for understanding consumers and the importance of the preowned market.”
For many consumers, this reversal may be too little, too late, however. For one thing, the Xbox One still clocks in at $499—$100 more than the PS4.
For many consumers, this reversal may be too little, too late, however. For one thing, the Xbox One still clocks in at $499—$100 more than the PS4.
“If you do a focus group of a gazillion people and you show them two prices for two competitive products, 100 percent always prefer the lower price,” Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg told GamesIndustry International, going on to note that “Microsoft is going to have to win the hearts and minds and convince people that the higher price point is worth it, and that it provides really meaningful capabilities that will be meaningful to consumers.”
Part of that is convincing consumers that the required Kinect 2.0 is worth the extra cash. Sony opted to not include its own Move MOVE +2.16% motion sensor with the PS4 bundle, even though the new DualShock 4 controllers have built in Move capabilities, selling it as a $59.99 peripheral instead.
IGN’s Scott Lowe argues that sacrificing the PS4′s camera to beat Microsoft’s price will create “a climate of codependency wherein PlayStation 4 camera adoption will hinge upon compelling software, but compelling software will only arrive after PlayStation 4 camera adoption.”
The Kinect, meanwhile, will see greater developer support from the get-go thanks to its mandatory inclusion.
Sony is banking on the old-fashioned notion that demand will drive adoption of a quality product, not the other way around.
That other notion—that “100 percent always prefer the lower price” as Activision’s Hirshberg put it—has continued to keep the PlayStation 4 out in front of its primary rival.
The question now is whether Microsoft will find a way to bring a lower-cost console to market in time for the holidays, or whether the big gamble on the Kinect 2.0 will pay off.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2013/06/29/xbox-one-used-game-policy-reversal-a-good-move-but-microsoft-still-needs-to-justify-the-price/
Thursday, July 25, 2013
**Microsoft just announced that they will allow self-publishing which provides a route for low budget companies and individuals to develop games for the Xbox One. Playstation developers have said before they will allow this, but so far the process with Microsoft seems easier and more accessible based on our research.**
Original article: http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/07/24/microsoft-to-announce-indie-self-publishing-new-certification-process.aspx
Microsoft Confirms Indie Self Publishing, Microsoft Responds To Our Questions
Update: Microsoft has verified our report. Confirmation has also been provided regarding Xbox One retail consoles serving as developer kits. This is an enormous change to the landscape, and supports the move to allow independent developers to self-publish.
"Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE," said Xbox chief product officer Marc Whitten. "This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We'll have more details on the program and the timeline at gamescom in August."
In a conversation with Whitten, he told us that the commitment to independent developers is full. There won't be restrictions on the type of titles that can be created, nor will there be limits in scope. In response to a question on whether retail-scale games could be published independently, Whitten told us, "Our goal is to give them access to the power of Xbox One, the power of Xbox Live, the cloud, Kinect, Smartglass. That's what we think will actually generate a bunch of creativity on the system."
With regard to revenue splitting with developers, we were told that more information will be coming at Gamescom, but that we could think about it "generally like we think about Marketplace today." According to developers we've spoken with, that split can be approximately 50-50.
As for sales and dynamism in the Marketplace, Whitten told us more information would be forthcoming, but that "This has been pretty key for how we've developed the Xbox One platform," Whitten told us in response to a question about how long this plan has been in the works. Along those lines, Microsoft has been pushing for faster certification as we reported earlier. "My goal has always been to reduce the amount of time it takes to make a certification pass," Whitten told us. "It's good for all reasons, and it's a function of how to you build the automation. My goals will always be to take the amount of time in certification down."
With regard to the devkit functionality, Whitten told us that it won't be ready at launch. We also spoke about security, as it would seem that enabling retail units to function as devkits and play non-final code would be problematic. "This is the type of thing that you can only do at the start of a generation," Whitten explained. "You make a set of assumptions, and those assumptions get baked in at the beginning. When you ask questions like that [about security], you're looking through the lens of how Xbox 360 works, and based on how we developed a lot of these things in 2004 and 2005."
We're looking forward to learning more about these new features in the coming weeks and next month at Gamescom.
Original story:
Another unpopular Microsoft policy appears to be heading for the history books. Sources tell Game Informer that the company is reversing course on its publishing requirements. This will allow independent studios to access digital distribution without a publishing partner.
Independent publishing was a key platform in Sony's E3 2013 press conference, bringing a number of developers on stage. Supergiant Games' Transistor, Abe's Oddysee: New 'n' Tasty from Oddworld Inhabitants and Just Add Water, and Don't Starve from Mark of the Ninja studio Klei Entertainment were just some of the titles on display.
In contrast, criticism of Microsoft's curated approach to its marketplace has amplified in recent months, with several former partners saying they will never work with them again. Oddworld creator Lorne Lanning boldly said of Microsoft's indie policy, "There's one party that's making it very clear they're not interested."
The cacophony of naysayers drove Microsoft to rethink its position. Under the new directive, developers can set their own release dates and pricing, which should make the erratic nature of Xbox Live releases less problematic for creators who want to handle their own marketing.
Additionally, we have learned that Microsoft is drastically overhauling its certification process. The company will use a model similar to iTunes and is targeting a 14-day turnaround for an approvals. Instead of extensive code checking, the company will be looking for terms of service violations and significant bugs.
We've also been told, but cannot confirm, that every Xbox One unit can be converted to a debug console. Instead of specific hardware units, Microsoft can authorize a console ID to play pre-release code. This is in line with information we've received about a new process for beta tests. They will be run via hardware provisioning on Xbox One, with the process reportedly to be enabled for up to 25,000 users per test at launch. Given the ability to provision for beta testing, the ability to enable retail hardware for pre-release code seems feasible.
We've reached out to Microsoft for comment.
Additional reporting by Matt Bertz and Jeff Marchiafava.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Statistics between Xbox and Playstation
|
PlayStation 3 (PS3)Statistics
|
Units Sold
|
|
Total PlayStation 3
consoles sold
|
57 Million
|
|
Total PlayStation 3
games sold
|
375.3 Million
|
|
Top Selling PS3 Game :
Gran Turismo 5
|
7.3 Million
|
|
PlayStation 2 (PS2)
Statistics
|
|
|
Total PlayStation 2
consoles sold
|
150 Million
|
|
Total PlayStation 2
games sold
|
1.51 Billion
|
|
Top Selling PS2 Game :
Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas
|
17.33 Million
|
|
PlayStation (PS) Statistics
|
|
|
Total PlayStation
consoles sold
|
102.49 Million
|
|
Total PlayStation
games sold
|
962 Million
|
|
Top Selling PS Game :
Gran Turismo
|
10.85 Million
|
|
PlayStation Portable (PSP)
Statistics
|
|
|
Total PSP units sold
|
67.8 Million
|
|
Total PSP games sold
|
102.49 Million
|
|
Top Selling PS3 Game :
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd
|
4.12 Million
|
|
PlayStation Network
Statistics
|
|
|
Total Number of
PlayStation Network Subscribers
|
69 Million
|
|
Total PlayStation
Store Downloads
|
600 Million
|
| Xbox 360 Statistics | Data |
| Xbox 360 Total Console Sales | 59,400,000 |
| Halo 3 (Best Selling Game) Sales | 15,750,000 |
| Xbox 360 Original Sales Price | $399 |
| Total XBox 360 Games Sold | 384,000,000 |
| Total Xbox 360 Game Titles | 963 |
| Xbox Original Statistics | Data |
| Xbox Total Console Sales | 24,750,000 |
| Halo 2 (Best Selling Game) Sales | 8,000,000 |
| Total Xbox Games Sold | 104,000,000 |
| Total Original Xbox Game Titles | 478 |
| Xbox Live Statistics | Data |
| Number of Xbox Live Subscribers | 31 Million |
| Average Xbox Live Gamerscore | 11,286 |
| Highest Gamerscore to date (3.11.2011) | 540,563 |
Sunday, July 21, 2013
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