Unstoppable Rumor Mill: Microsoft Backing Away from Its “Always-Online” Strategy

Unstoppable Rumor Mill: Next Xbox Pricing and Reveal Date Leaked

After pushing their plans for a late April reveal, multiple sources are now claiming Microsoft will finally unveil their next-gen, Windows 8 running successor to the Xbox 360 on May 21st.

Veteran blogger and Microsoft watchdog, Paul Thurrott, announced the news on a recent video, but failed to mention his source.  Shortly after, though, The Verge went and legitimatized his claim by confirming the May date as the world’s first look at what is now simply being referred to as “Xbox” (either it’s called that or I’m accidentally reporting news from 2001).

Kindly Mr. Thurrott had more to leak regarding the next-gen system, including a $500 price point that, while being on par with the costs of modern tech, still scores a cringe out of me.  As I suspected might come to pass, he also outs a $300 bundle that would follow a subscription model similar to the one introduced with Xbox 360’s last year.

Keeping the “always online” hubbub in mind — along with the ensuing PR disaster — Thurrott could only point to older design documents stating an internet connection was required to use the console.  Microsoft has refused to confirm or deny the feature, which is condemnation enough until we hear otherwise.

Backwards compatibility, one of the top most requested features when consumers make the transition between old and new hardware, doesn’t seem to be on the plate for “Xbox.”  The company will instead debut a dirt cheap $99 Xbox 360 bundle.  Also, Thurrott says a drive-less version of the new console strictly intended for App usage rather than gaming (a decision rumored way back when) was shelved by Microsoft but may see the light of day somewhere down the road.  Again, Microsoft’s next device will supposedly be shown off May 21st with a full reveal, including the system’s launch lineup, likely happening at this year’s E3.

Despite having supported the Xbox 360 early on this gen (adopting a PS3 much, much later), I’m rather dubious about Microsoft in the next-generation.  Sony made a strong case for the PS4 in February and their reveal has been stewing in console gamers’ heads ever since: PC-quality graphics, beastly processing power, incredibly developer friendly architecture… The “Xbox” is at a disadvantage without even having shown anything yet.  Pair that up with bad publicity and Microsoft needs more than a knockout reveal; they need a precision strike.

Always-Online an Issue for You?  “Deal With It”

The kerfuffle above: Microsoft Studios’ creative director, Adam Orth, engaged in a heated Tweet-off with the next Mass Effect’s senior game designer, Manveer Heir, over an “always-online” console.

The exchange was likely sparked after another rumor hit the web today concerning the next Xbox’s keen ability to prevent the start up of games and applications if users don’t have an internet connection or suspend active ones if your connection drops.  Which, despite speaking to you through the limitless wonder of the internet, sounds absolutely fucking awful.  Before locking his Twitter account from public scrutiny, Mr. Orth offered up some…colorful analogies clearly illustrating that our disdain for always-online gaming is riddled with fallacy.

“The mobile reception in the area I live in is spotty and unreliable. I will not buy a mobile phone.”  I guess “switch providers” is off the table.

Here’s my fave: “Sometimes the electricity goes out. I will not purchase a vacuum cleaner.”  I’m getting that embroidered on a jacket, no doubt.  Check out more Tweets from Orth hereabouts (thanks again, NeoGaf).

So, are Mr. Orth’s comments indicative that today’s rumor of an always-online Next-Box ring true?  Ugh, probably.  Microsoft’s reveal is sure to come and answers will follow; though, I have a suspicion the big M might downplay that whole game suspension business. 

Sorry, Guys, the Fez Patch Isn’t Getting Patched

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but in the end, paying such a large sum of money to jump through so many hoops just doesn’t make any sense. We already owe Microsoft a LOT of money for the privilege of being on their platform. People often mistakenly believe that we got paid by Microsoft for being exclusive to their platform. Nothing could be further from the truth. WE pay THEM.”

Polytron Games explaining why 1% of you are going to continue experiencing save problems with Fez.

The initial patch that fixed a mess load of bugs in Polytron’s standout title Fez has been put back online after being removed once it was found out that a vicious little save glitch paired with the update would delete players’ entire progress.

Having investigated the matter, Microsoft determined only somewhere near 1% of the people that downloaded the patch ran into the problem, which places the patch in the “good enough” category by the company’s standards.  Microsoft then gave the indie developer behind Fez two options; pay “tens of thousands of dollars to re-certify the game” or merely put the original patch back online, bugs and all.

Without the financial backing of a larger developer, and also still being reamed by the payments the dev has to make just to have their game on XBLA, Polytron took the only feasible route they saw (which was not to succumb to bankruptcy) and reissued the patch, deeming it safe for an overwhelming majority of Fez owners, putting to bed any chance of a patch for the patch.

Want to hear the kicker?  Polytron fully admits that had they released the game for Steam, the fix would have only taken two weeks to launch without a single cost to them, Microsoft being the one factor stopping that scenario from happening for 360 owners.  Yeah, with a smoking barrel of a statement like that, I doubt we’ll see another Polytron game on the Arcade anytime…ever.

Game Informer Cover Teasing Next Gears of War

You thought Microsoft would come to E3 without packing the big guns?  For shame.  Game Informer admits they typically like revealing what game is featured as their cover story the week before their magazine stuffs your mailbox with editorial goodness.  But in a courtesy gesture to Epic and Microsoft, we won’t get to know what this Gears is, or even what it’s called, until Monday’s E3 conference where the publisher will officially announce the title.

At a glance, I’m guessing the neon-handcuffed figure is a young Marcus Fenix — we first meet Marcus in a prison cell during the opening moments of Gears of War 1 — and that this new installment is actually a prequel.  Anyone recall those murmurs way back when about a new prequel trilogy?  Those rumors circulated around the fact that Bulletstorm’s dev house, People Can Fly, were to take over the GoW series, finally putting us in the midst of the often referenced Pendulum Wars.

$99 Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle with Two Year Contract Officially Official

That so-called subscription Xbox 360 Bundle rumored last week is now available wherever there might be a Microsoft Store (which my sources say is nowhere).  For $14.99 a month, you can enjoy a brand new Slim Xbox 360 with a Kinect Sensor and a two-year membership with Xbox Live.  Adopting a contract similar to most cellphone plans, the system comes with a 24-month warranty and a termination fee that claims your firstborn if you decide to break monthly payments.

Everyone with sense and a calculator will tell you that, in the long run, it’s cheaper to just buy the bundle outright sans the contract — a fact already fueling dissenting opinions from the gaming public.  Personally, I believe Microsoft is introducing the new payment model in an attempt to normalize alternative methods for customers to attain their product, so that going forward, people aren’t put off by the company initiating the very same business model for future devices and consoles.

Many may cry afoul this generation, but imagine the next lineup of consoles that hit the scene with price tags sure to zoom right past our current $300 comfort zones.  If you offered me an Xbox 720 at release for a hundred bucks…well, let’s just say I wouldn’t quite snub my nose at it.  We could be looking at a new trend, folks.  We’ll see how this one plays out.

What’s Microsoft Up To?  A Subscription Based Xbox 360?

How would you feel about a 4GB Xbox 360 bundled together with a Kinect sensor for the low price of $99?  That’s a saving of two-hundred dollars!

But there’s a catch, friend.  In order to take that cheap, cheap bundle off of Microsoft’s hands, there’s sort of an eensy bit of a contractual obligation to take care of — for two years straight.  The subscription fee Xbox would cost you about $15 bucks a month, netting you Xbox Live access and potentially other exclusives (like deals from cable providers) and comes with a two-year warranty as well as the looming threat of a cancellation fee if you decide to cut payments with Microsoft.

The company itself has refused to comment on the possible subscribed bundle, but if the report over at The Verge is to be believed, we could see this $99 Xbox as soon as next week.  The Verge also points out that while the package is discounted at purchase, when compared to buying the full cost bundle now with two years of Xbox Live, it’s still fucking cheaper than riding out 24 months with the new bundle and subscription.

Despite that, tell a person he can make a quick buck today but make more if he waits, that person is still liable to defy reason and go for the instant gratification.  If this subscription bundle is the real deal, Microsoft knows exactly what it’s doing when it comes to ensnaring more victims customers.