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Post by dschroll on Nov 21, 2013 2:59:28 GMT -5
Here's a thread to discuss all things XBOX One.
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Post by reaper on Nov 21, 2013 21:38:48 GMT -5
My Xbox one is out for delivery from Amazon. It's scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Too bad I'm still too sick to really enjoy it. This cold or flu is making me feel terrible.
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Post by reaper on Nov 22, 2013 14:51:29 GMT -5
So, I just finished with the first hour with my Xbox One. I presume ya'll are interested in some first impressions so I'll lay it on ya.
The controller:
It feels fantastic. It feels as if it was molded to fit my specific hands. At once familiar and new. The sticks do feel a little more loose but the triggers feel great. The bumpers feel out of reach. However, if I just push on the edge of them, it's fine. I am mentally tempted to try to press the entire bumper but that feels like an uncomfortable stretch. I think I can just hit the ends of the bumper and be fine.
I am not sure I'll like the glowing white dot when I am trying to play in the dark. Seems kind of bright to me. Beyond that, I didn't notice too much else. It is nice that the battery pack is flat now!
The interface:
When I first booted it up and cool welcome videos started flinging around my screen, I was very impressed. I immediately jumped in and started trying to download netflix, Killer Instinct, install CoD, etc. I was disappointed to see that the KI download I started first got put on hold when I put the CoD disc n the tray and that installation started. Then I couldn't figure out how to force KI to download first. I had to look online to figure that one out. The download queue is under a Games and Apps menu item. I also wanted to peek at the system settings and didn't see that on the dash anywhere. That was found by pressing the menu button.
It sounds like I am being harsh on it but overall, I think the interface of the system is great and was starting to feel excited about the XBO. So, I started...
The games:
Killer Instinct. I have a lot of nostalgia for this game after playing the crap out of it on N64. I started it up and went into the DoJo mode to learn some moves. Pretty cool. Fighters look good. Backgrounds look good. It definitely is a nice looking title. I love the particle effects when a fireball makes contact. But overall, it looks good but not next gen great. I came away after a few matches feeling happy but not blown away with the title.
I decided to pop CoD in for a while.
This is next gen? I bought a $500 console for this? If someone told me it was running on the 360, I would have believe them. It does not look special. BF4 looks way better. There is aliasing everywhere. The textures look mediocre. It's a good looking game but not next gen. I played a few rounds and had fun but was not impressed at all with the look and feel. Nothing felt new or different about it at all.
XBL:
It was rock solid. Downloads came across fine. Matchmaking worked well. Sign-in was a breeze.
So, right now, I am pretty torn. PS4 just seems next gen on the game front. Maybe it's the games I bought. Xbox seems next gen on the operating system. I am hoping PS4 picks it up on the OS and PSN and I am hoping Xbox picks it up on the games.
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Post by reaper on Nov 22, 2013 15:34:30 GMT -5
I wanted to add that the XBO does seem quieter than the ps4. I could barely tell it was on. I also confirmed there is currently no Dolby digital option for the optical output
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Post by oldskoolboarder on Nov 22, 2013 15:57:44 GMT -5
I wanted to add that the XBO does seem quieter than the ps4. I could barely tell it was on. I also confirmed there is currently no Dolby digital option for the optical output Is that for everything, including games/disc-based movies? I thought only applied to pass through cable boxes.
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Post by dschroll on Nov 22, 2013 16:09:27 GMT -5
Supposedly DD is coming in a later patch. But its not available at launch.
Reaper, I think Ryse would help give you that next gen look you're looking for from the XBO. However, the game overall is supposed to be fairly mediocre.
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Post by reaper on Nov 22, 2013 16:16:11 GMT -5
Right. I was tempted to get Ryse just for the spectacle but pulled back when I saw those reviews.
I think you're right about the patch too.
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Post by reaper on Nov 22, 2013 18:25:17 GMT -5
Full screen skype is pretty cool. Even the wife enjoyed that.
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Post by reaper on Nov 22, 2013 20:13:21 GMT -5
Been playing a lot more xbox today. Love love love killer instinct. So much fun. If anyone gets a one, we must battle! It's so tight. So well balanced. Love the action and the combos.
Spent more time with cod as well. There are some maps that look fairly decent with the god rays. I was probably a little harsh on it earlier. It looks good. Bf4 still beats it handily but it's definitely a small step above the 360.
Tried some kinect sports. That was really fun and the graphics looked great. MS continues to impress with parental controls as well. They have a ton of options! Definitely the system for a young child.
Happy to own both systems.
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Post by reaper on Nov 22, 2013 20:40:30 GMT -5
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Post by dschroll on Nov 22, 2013 20:51:37 GMT -5
Definitely the system for a young child. . I think that honor still belongs to Nintendo
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Post by reaper on Nov 23, 2013 12:40:55 GMT -5
Had a magical moment with Kinect this morning. Adam wanted to watch a youtube video and set it up on the one. A few mins into it, I hear adam saying "Xbox Stop Listening Xbox Stop Listening". I walk over and some interface which he had not requested disappears. Then I hear it again... Xbox Stop Listening Xbox Stop Listening Xbox Stop Listening It was popping this interface over and over again. No idea why. I finally had to go turn Kinect off so he could watch the video. Funny thing was... 10 min later, his friend came in and was blown away that we have the XBO and asked Adam which was better. Adam said well.. the xbox has this really cool Kinect sensor!
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Post by reaper on Nov 23, 2013 22:30:27 GMT -5
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Post by reaper on Nov 24, 2013 22:35:54 GMT -5
I am posting from my new xbox one!!
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Post by reaper on Nov 25, 2013 14:29:24 GMT -5
Wrote this for some friends of mine that game together on the xbox 360 frequently (every week actually). So I thought I'd summarize my current feelings after spending a significant amount of time with each console. I'll start by saying that I am not 100% endorsing anything here just yet but simply providing the current direction of the winds for me. I would like to see what happens on Dec 7th so we get a better idea of what games are coming soon for each system. But here are my thoughts based on what I have now. I bought both systems but really only felt comfortable with my PS4 purchase going into this. Sony seemed to be providing all the proper messaging, they have a more powerful machine, the software has some great features, etc. MS has been tripping over landmines ever since the initial reveal last spring. So, I got my XBO with some hesitation. The UPS truck brought it by my house and I set it up on my 55" LED downstairs, right below the PS4. You've seen my earlier comments about the games and controller. But what I'd like to talk about a little more now is the interface and back-end. The operating system just seems more exciting to me. I like snapping items to the side of the screen. I love that I can continue to play the game and see the entire screen while also seeing who is in my party at the same time. I am pretty excited that I can do this without even touching a button. I have had very little trouble with XBL since I got the system. I got disconnected from one game. That's it. I reconnected and was back up and running within seconds. Everything else has been buttery smooth. I like that when I stand in front of the XB1, it recognizes me and signs me in. It hasn't done so while I am sitting on the couch yet. But still... pretty cool. I like that when I handed Adam my controller, it knew I did and switched to his profile! I liked that when I turn on my xbox, it also turns on my receiver and my TV. I think it's pretty badass that my XBL account is magically tied to a skydrive account (didn't even know I had that) with 7GB of free storage where I can upload 720P videos and download to my PC. PS4 only lets me put videos on Twitter and FB for now. I think one could look at this and just see it as "different" but to me, the XB solution is superior. I like the interface and pinning objects to my home screen. I like the web browser. It's actually useful . I haven't tried the PS4 web browser yet. I need to do that soon. But I know they foolishly did not enable their touchpad support for the web browser. Why not? Why is it so janky in AC4? Is the tuochpad driver messed up right now? So these are some ideas that are floating around in my head and here's the big picture. This gaming group started out on PCs. There were many wasted nights struggling with PC hardware, roger wilco chat problems, etc. We left PCs so that we could have a seamless gaming experience and maximize our time. I feel that the XBO will likely be a small hit on graphical performance. But I am also starting to see that it may be worth it in terms of ease-of-use, dedicated servers, operating system features, etc. I am starting to think that when we sit down on a W night to play games, we just want it to work and the difference between 1080p and 720p upscaled to 1080p might not be that significant. Now, this isn't all roses in MS' court. Sony does some things better too. For instance, if I want to save a gameplay recording, I just hit a button. I get a screenshot and 15 minutes of gameplay! On XBO, I say "Xbox, record that!". Then it saves 30 seconds. Thirty seconds? Thirty seconds!?!? What? I agree that 15 mins is more than I need. But 30 seconds. That's stupid short. At least give me 5 mins. But you can get more than 30 seconds on the XBO. You just have to say "Xbox, snap game DVR, then "End Clip" Then save "5 min". I think that's the progression anyways. But as you can see... it's not nearly as easy as pressing one button on the PS4 and getting everything you're likely to need. Now MS may fix that issue. And they may fix the DD to the optical port issue. And maybe Sony would do some cool things if I had the camera attachment. But my current thought is that MS has stayed about 2 steps ahead of Sony on the software. Sony put out a better box. But outside of that box, MS is kicking butt. I am starting to feel that when we all sit down to play a game on W night and we need a service to be up and running, that XBL is most likely to be there. I feel that MS may have features that Sony does not and that the Kinect will continue to improve over time. Also, right now, I am most excited about Killer Instinct and Titanfall. Again, this isn't a final recommendation or anything. But I am pretty darn impressed with the overall feel of the Xbox System. It just feels more professionally thought out and implemented from a complete end-to-end system point of view. The PS4 feels like an xbox 360 with more horsepower and a cool share button. I don't think either console is "bad" or a poor choice. But if I were to ask myself which is most likely to give us a smooth gaming night experience... XBO would have to be my answer... although even as I type this, the Kinect inconsistencies make me worried. I can almost hear us complaining that they yelled "record that" and nothing happened! What a tough generation!
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Post by fatty on Nov 26, 2013 0:52:35 GMT -5
Thanks for the constant updates reaper, I really enjoy reading your impressions. I forgot to comment on it a few posts back, but I really liked your Minecraft story about your kids, because it hit home. My kids are loving that game and starting to take over my basement with it.
So I got a chance to spend some quality time at my brother's house with both the PS4 and XB1. Games I played:
NBA2k14 (XB1) Killer Instinct (XB1) Forza (XB1) Lego Marvel Superheroes (PS4) Killzone (PS4 - barely played since I don't care for FPS games that much) Battlefield 4 (XB1 - watched) AC4 (watched)
He has Ryse, Fifa and some other titles but I didn't stay long enough to see all of the titles.
First quick impressions (really quick):
I liked both controllers, but not sure which I liked more. Keep in mind this is only with a few hours with the systems.
PS4 controller felt good in my hands, the light would change colors on Killzone from green to yellow to red depending on your health. It's neat but kind of seems gimmicky. I prefer the bumpers of the PS4 to the XB1, the bumpers on the XB1 controller are very clicky. But the triggers on the XB1 had a nice resistance when pressing, and there was vibration feedback on certain games. I thought I wouldn't like it, but it was still subtle enough and was a nice effect when drifting or riding off road on Forza.
The d-pad on the XB1 controller is much improved, but after playing KI a while it started to cramp up my hand a bit. I don't like the location of the d-pad. Good for short play times but something intensive like a fighting game it doesn't work for me. But overall both controllers are improvements over the last ones. Not huge but still significant.
I will try to get into the games more tomorrow, but I will say this. Nice looking (esp. Forza, AC4 and NBA 2k14), but nothing gameplay-wise that made me go 'I need to play that'. I'll get more into that tomorrow.
On a wonderful side note, my brother gave me my Christmas present early. An Xbox One. I said wow. This was Friday and I am still in shock. We normally just draw names in my family but my brother made so much in flipping games from Best Buy/Gamestop/Amazon that he made enough to get me and my other brother both a system (oh, and I got my $96 credit from Amazon for trading in RB3 and the keyboard, yay!). I got my first time with it tonight and tried out Xbox Fitness. Ended up downloading KI as well. But I will post more tomorrow.
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Post by reaper on Nov 26, 2013 6:27:34 GMT -5
That's awesome of him to gift you an XBO. Do you plan to get on XBL? Have an id? Mine is BrickArmour if you want to connect!
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Post by dschroll on Nov 26, 2013 7:33:50 GMT -5
Very nice and generous gift from your brother fatty. Too cool. I appreciate everyone posting about their new console impressions. Its nice to read about these new systems from people you actually know and trust. Please keep the impressions/opinions coming.
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Post by reaper on Nov 26, 2013 8:35:29 GMT -5
Some voice command help
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Post by reaper on Nov 26, 2013 13:26:40 GMT -5
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