Living a Digital Existence Week 5

[MunkyMagikUK]

Living a Digital Existence

Week 5

Here is what will be last week's instalment of living a digital existence, sorry it's a tad late...

Time for a change...

This week see the release of Microsoft’s eagerly anticipated “New Xbox Experience” or NXE. As I’m sure many of you will be aware, the NXE is an update to the Xbox 360 dashboard that allows us to more easily navigate our way throughout the menus, as well as the introduction of avatars.

The official blurb states: “Enter the ultimate social entertainment experience. Connect with your favourite people and enjoy more games and entertainment online than with any other device connected to your TV. Welcome to the New Xbox Experience. Jump in.”

Great stuff.

Now, here’s my problem. I’m sure I’m going to get flamed for this, but does anyone else think that they have just “copied” elements from Sony and Nintendo here? Avatars, or should I say “Mii’s”, are nothing new to us, anyone who has ever used a Wii will know about these, and although Microsoft have expanded on them (e.g. clothes etc.) I still feel it’s a bit of a “rip-off” of Nintendo’s hard work. The new menu, while I’m sure very easy to use, looks a bit like the one Sony use on the PS3. I know I’ve heard InsaneNutter I think say that he doesn’t actually like the PlayStation version, and he thinks the 360 version is better, but I suppose what I’m trying to get at is that I think the ingenuity and creativeness has gone out of the industry. Credit obviously has to go to Microsoft in all of this, after all they realised that people wanted a change, and have created something that people clearly like, and fair play to them, if it ain’t broke, don’t break it. But I’d much rather they produce something new and exciting, and brand new interface or something, that I have never seen before, than reproduce something someone else has made and improve it a bit.

I think that it isn’t even just Microsoft and Sony though. Game developers are just as bad, I mean, how often is it now where a game is created, and you think, “Wow, I haven’t actually played anything like this before!” I’ll tell you, not very often. In fact, there’s probably more chance of the Pope appearing on national television telling everyone he’s shagged Madonna and has had an illegitimate child. Fair enough, there are some great games being produced, Gears f War 2, Halo 3, Dead Space to name just a few, but nothing that completely grips me, and I think, “Damn, that game just kicked my ass”. When I play a game now, I’ll play through th campaign once, complete it, and then will only ever play it again because I want the achievements, or I’m helping someone else do it on co-op, but never because I have loved the story so much. I think the last game to grip me in this way was Halo: Combat Evolved, way back on the original Xbox.

But wait.

Alas, there is a glimmer of hope! And that glimmer of hope is Nintendo. Yes, many may disagree, but I think that Nintendo may just save our beloved industry. They came up with the Wii. Something that I certainly hadn’t seen before, and I can say that playing one is a blast. And I know that many people will disagree, saying that it’s “Just for kids” “It has no decent games” and “The graphics are shit”, but guaranteed, you get four of your mates around, have a few beers, and play Super Smash Bros. Brawl, you will have a blast. It doesn’t need brilliant graphics, it was something new, fresh, and never before seen on the console market. And that people, is what we need. The Wii stands for fun, light heartedness and socialising with your mates. Whereas I think the Xbox and PlayStation are more about serious gaming, with games that don’t vary much and getting greatly frustrated because some n00b just blew you up with a rocket launcher. If Nintendo can keep innovating the way they did with the Wii, and keep becoming more popular, it may spur the other "Big 2" into thinking of some great ideas of their own to pull us into buying their products.

Now before I start getting abuse hurled at me for my comments, I’d like to tell everyone, I am an Xbox 360 fanboy. Anyone who knows me will know this fact, and all I’m trying to get at is that I’m sick and tired of the same old games coming out of the boring machine. So please, make me something new, exciting and fresh!!

As always your views and comments are welcome, and I’m pretty sure this week I’m going to get a few people saying that I’m talking complete and utter shite.

Until next time...

EDIT: I am amazed by NXE. I take back any derogatory comments, even if they did copy the avatar idea

David
(MunkyMagikUK)

 

[Safinn]

You have some good points. They did take ideas from nintendo about the avatars but I dont see much of the playstation dashboard in the new NXE. They have taken the ideas but improved on them in my opinion. Install games to your hard drive is a massive improvement (Not 100% if the PS3 or Wii has this). Also group private chat I hear is coming. Too me it's a massive update probably because iv not seen much of the Wii and PS3 so I can't compare alot.

 

[InsaneNutter]

Firstly as always another great living a digital existence post David, I do agree Microsoft’s Avatars are a copy of Nintendo’s Mii’s... then again who doesn’t copy each other these days? Microsoft hit it big with achievements when the 360 launched, now Sony have copied them with “trophies” and Value have added achievement support to some of their games on Steam.
I would personally say the 360’s NXE is more copied from Windows Media Centre rather than the PS3.

Vista MCE

360 NXE

PS3 XBM

Let’s be honest there all pretty similar and have probably all stolen ideas from each other somewhere down the line, I think its more of what you can do from in the interface that matters. Example with the new NXE on the 360 you get access to a lot of your content and features of the 360 directly in game. Unless the PS3 has changed there’s not a lot you can do from the in game xbm from what I remember.

Most games these days to be honest are nothing new and most of them not that good, any series that is good seems to get bought by EA then they make sure there’s a new copy of the game on sale every year sadly. Its the small arcade games that impress me the most these days, Marble Blast, Geometry Wars, Mutant Strom, Heavy Weapon and even old classics like Bomberman remade with online play and Vision camera support.

 

[mattyd38]

say what!

the nintendo wii is real money spinner, you need 4 remotes which are £30 with £15 for a nun chuck... lets not forget the adapters developers want you to buy at £10 a chuck, steering wheel, fishing rod, tennis racket, gun... the list goes on...

wii fit = dust collecter

if you want inovation and inventive games by a ds

dont support development of these consumerist "inovations"

i hope sony and microsoft have better sense than to fall down this path way of add - ons

dont get me wrong i love guitar hero, but please no more plastic shit for my house...

edit :

keep up the good work, its nice to see some opinionated people are still out there

 

[MunkyMagikUK]

the nintendo wii is real money spinner, you need 4 remotes which are £30 with £15 for a nun chuck... lets not forget the adapters developers want you to buy at £10 a chuck, steering wheel, fishing rod, tennis racket, gun... the list goes on...

wii fit = dust collecter

if you want inovation and inventive games by a ds

dont support development of these consumerist "inovations"

i hope sony and microsoft have better sense than to fall down this path way of add - ons

dont get me wrong i love guitar hero, but please no more plastic shit for my house...

edit :

keep up the good work, its nice to see some opinionated people are still out there

Actually, you make a good point. I completely forgot about the DS. Great little console which adds something new and different. And i agree about the Wii being a bit of a money spinner. The point I was trying to make was that it is something new and different and not the same old.

Good post!

 

[Nimrod]

Mirrors Edge?

Can't say I'm too fond of it, but you gotta give EA something for trying something totally new!

Only real comment I can make is that while you say NXE is like the PS3, yes it is. But its only Microsofts Windows Media Center interface which has been out longer than the PS3 or PSP. If anything, Sony copied Microsoft but twisted it 90 degrees. Its also the same interface they use on the Zune and other Microsoft Devices so it was expected. But then again, who did Microsoft get the idea in the first place?

Sony this round has done nothing to invovate and they know that, thats why they are losing (plus there terrible price).

Avaters have been around longer than Nintendo Wii's Mii's. Years and years they have been done on devices, websites, etc etc. Microsoft and Nintendo copied that, though it should be said Nintendo did a basic version on a games console first out of the major three.

Id anything, Id give credit to Nintendo knowing how to rip kids and families off, while yes they are inotive, they are also the biggest rip off in the history of games consoles like MattyD said. Cost of a machine must be less than £40, yet they charge £180. Controller costs at a guess, £4? Yet they charge £45 for the lot. As much as I love my Wii, I wish I didnt support Nintendo by giving them money yet no one else seems to feel the same.

 

[BSmith]

Now, here’s my problem. I’m sure I’m going to get flamed for this, but does anyone else think that they have just “copied” elements from Sony and Nintendo here? Avatars, or should I say “Mii’s”, are nothing new to us, anyone who has ever used a Wii will know about these, and although Microsoft have expanded on them (e.g. clothes etc.)

Agreed, it is fair to say I wasn't overjoyed when I first saw the preview of this update. I've always had a resentment for avatars as pointless, detracting crap. It's a gimmick, and not a very good one. Frankly I like the current dashboard very much, and have no desires for any major changes to it or the radical and entirely pointless increase in profile sizes.

I think that it isn’t even just Microsoft and Sony though. Game developers are just as bad, I mean, how often is it now where a game is created, and you think, “Wow, I haven’t actually played anything like this before!” I’ll tell you, not very often.

Don't blame us developers for this, give a developer a free hand and funding and you'll see something new. Creative talent has not stagnated, but the publishers that have grown up in the games industry much like in the film industry are relying on "safe bets"; sequels of successful games rather than trying something oustandingly new, and risky ideas. I've been turned off playing games a lot in recent years because of the samey nature, I'm tired of playing a game half a dozen along a chain of sequels from something that actually was a good original game.

It doesn't help that the monster/enemy of innovation known as EA is going round swallowing up every brilliant studio and then systematically destroying it. I've got no objection to a company buying another, but if they're like Westwood Studios with a brilliant talentset and setup leave them to their own devices. Take your bit of the profit, but let them get on with what they want to do. Really getting bored of EA's bad film licensed games, sport sims and Need For Speed 17 games. It is my opinion however that the industry will hit back strong with the complete opposite, a range of new IP and ideas to combat this rising problem.

 

[BSmith]

Only real comment I can make is that while you say NXE is like the PS3, yes it is. But its only Microsofts Windows Media Center interface which has been out longer than the PS3 or PSP. If anything, Sony copied Microsoft but twisted it 90 degrees. Its also the same interface they use on the Zune and other Microsoft Devices so it was expected. But then again, who did Microsoft get the idea in the first place?

The XMB made its debut on the Japanese PSX back in 2003, if I remember an old Edge magazine correctly. But let's face it, you wouldn't call a linear menu a copy because it's logical, and a 2 dimensional menu is only an extension of that. A linear menu within a linear menu, the concept is so simple that it's pointless saying either person copied each other.

 

[Tindell]

Oh Dave Is Having An Odd Day

Come on, Ive had the 360 NXE for like a week and its the greatest peice of user interface design Ive used in a long time, okay so avatars are mii's but its microsoft's goal to reach out to a larger market and thats all part of it. Need I remind you that even the first HALO was not exactly truly something different it took the foundations of other games and built on it. Lets get some prespective the PS3 menu is not great and its just a larger version of the PSP's user interface. The wii is something different! true but the magic dissapears pretty quick when you realise that it really is something that feels like it was built for £5 with poor graphics and bad accuracy and yes the grandmas, housewives and kids of this world will still love the wii but mines in a box gathering dust until a few friends visit. Plus the PS3 and 360 no competition, I mean where did sony get their idea for online gaming oh and trophies another original idea there. Look the fact is everyone steel's the odd idea I mean maybe next time the wii will create their playstation home who knows? Or maybe we might get an Xbox Portable that looks like a PSP? but its about how they build on it that matters and trust me the NXE just delievers end to end, Maybe Microsoft might have actually done something right in the eyes of the mass public for once. Though Dave maybe your onto something lets find out which company steals the most ideas is it Microsoft? or Apple? etc.

 

[Tindell]

Just One More Thing!

There are original games coming out and it takes time there are lots of very talented game developers an am confident that community games only on Xbox 360 will show new possiblitys and may I mention mirrors edge totally a new idea or so we think???

 

[Trebor]

Original games such as World of Goo or Nebacular Drop (a student project which lead to Valve employing them which lead to "The cake is a lie" Portal). There are original ideas out there MunkyMagik, it's just that publishers such as EA don't think they're worth the risk. If you've got a game like Gears or Halo that's become a well known franchise of course you're going to release a sequel and make guaranteed money. If you have an IP (intellectual property) that isn't proven, is probably going to appeal to only a niche market or sometimes if it's produced by an unknown company it's less likely to be made/published. That's why I like XBLA and the Indie Developer awards and even some things that are made for homebrew. Cheaper to make, a way of getting your foot in the door into the games industry and a way to gain credibility.

As for gaming companies taking ideas from each other, that's been going on for years now. Heck even the Xbox with it's much touted Live wasn't the first console to be able to go online. It was the only console to make it very successful and popular IMO. If games companies kept everything to themselves even our controllers would have been affected. Nintendo were the first to have the D-pad, Sony were the first to have shoulder buttons (I think). All the things we take for granted in consoles and PC gaming today have been ideas that have been borrowed from somewhere else and improved upon. I quite like all the interfaces of todays consoles and only think that the NXE is an improvement over the old one. As to which 1 is best I don't know yet as I don't have a PS3 or the NXE (tonight hopefully).