The Big Bad Console Thread - Sway your Station with an Xboner !

Speaking with StickTwiddlers, a number of Microsoft staffers in the Xbox Live advertising division have shed light on the lessons learned through Xbox 360 adverts, and how this will be applied in Xbox One. It also places Kinect as a key part of the strategy.

Confirming that Kinect will use voice and facial recognition to tailor adverts on your console, one unnamed technical account manager said, "With the new Xbox One, the technology and Kinect has improved a lot, so that actually the voice recognition, the way you speak to your Xbox and the transition between gaming and watching TV is a lot smoother, and hopefully we can transpire [sic] that into advertising that we do."

The strategy goes hand-in-hand with Microsoft's 'Nuads' campaign, which resulted in adverts that housed interactive polls, as a way of making users feel like they were participating in adverts, rather than absorbing them passively.

The Microsoft employee added that Nuads, "transform passive TV advertising into something interactive, immersive, and actionable, redefining the relationship between consumers and brands with amazing new advertising opportunities".

While this might all sound intrusive and that Kinect is spying on users to sell them products, one of the Microsoft employees stressed that the company does not want the technology and its customers to be abused. However, the volume of data captured by Microsoft and advertisers via Kinect is said to be significantly lower than the information recorded by game developers.

"This sort of works at two levels," the Microsoft employee added. "There's the game producers who have a different API, so a different set of code and system that they use, and they've got a lot more control of the whole thing, whereas from the advertising point of view we have a slightly more limited set, which is designed to protect the user. The company is very keen on protecting the user from any sort of abuse so we can't do certain things."

Because Microsoft is wanting to move Xbox One into the living room of families using Kinect, the device can - for example - recognise when there are many people in a room, and target adverts to families and people of varying ages.

Microsoft's Senior Digital Art Director/UX Designer explained, "Xbox is moving more outside of the bedroom. We're seeing much, much more people use it in living rooms where there is family, friends, there is lots going on, so there is a context of perceiving the content.

"It's not like when you're at work when you sit in front of a screen and your experience is very personal. But with Xbox, it's lots of people in front of once big screen. They are playing or watching together and advertising is being consumed in a totally different way."

They added, "On Xbox, the ad is part of the actual experience, it's not something that is outside. The only difference is that the advertisement we have is quite small and not disruptive so people are not aware of clicking on the banners because they know this is a part of the whole experience on the dash.

"So the users know that this is something that when they click on it, they won't be hit by something crazy or something dangerous like on the web. Everything that lands there, we create."

One source called the development of adverts for Xbox One "exciting", because, "the 360 console wasn't built with advertising in mind, it was more of an afterthought, so we've had to adapt to the technology and how we work to fit them in to the console, whereas this new one is going to have advertising in mind.

"So a lot of the limitations that we have now, hopefully the release of the boundaries will widened so the opportunities will be a lot greater."

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Springbok_sl said:

Just got an e-mail from Amazon updating my shipping date for PS4 for like January 4-13th estimate. Hope to christ that isn't remotely accurate.

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hodj_sl said:

So basically, everything I said about how they will be monitoring your living room to determine what sorts of ads to send you has been confirmed.

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When Microsoft was developing the original Xbox, it conceptualized on a list of working names for the console and bounced them on the launch team, including the console's co-creator Seamus Blackley. EDGE has made public a list of rejected names for Microsoft's first console, which included names like WEP, Midway, and AIO (All In One). Does that sound familiar? That's the tagline Microsoft has been using for Xbox One.

"First, there were our code names, which were WEP - 'Windows Entertainment Project' - designed to make Microsoft executives comfortable, Midway - 'Midway between a PC and a console or 'Battle of Midway' - you decide - and DirectX Box, which was shortened to xbox in email very early on," Blackley said.

"When we got the first approval, Kevin [Bachus] was told we had to get a new name, because 'xbox' wasn't legally sound, so against his judgment he did so, and got the phase two, or 'car' names. These were so bad we didn't even save them, but I remember making fun of one of them by calling it the 'Microsoft Bunduss'. Then we got the 'acronym' phase from the naming geniuses."

A list of proposed names with acronyms were sent to Blackley and his team, which Blackley proclaimed were "crap"." Of course in the end, the name Xbox was the name that the launch team decided on.

"Phase four was a battle between us and the naming guys," Blackley continues. "When we decided we just wanted to risk it and go with Xbox - since that's what everyone called it anyway - and they wanted, for some unknowable reason, to call it '11-X' or 'Eleven-X'. Finally, we told them no, but still had to decide: X-Box, xBox, XboX, Xbox, X-box."

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Rombo_sl said:

If kinect / MS is the future in entertainment unit for the living room, ill make it a point to not have any fuckin living room in my house.

-dude, your kitchen opens right in your garage?
-thats right motherfucker.

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Sean_sl said:

Rejected names for the original Xbox:http://www.gametrailers.com/side-mis...ll-in-one-more



- MAX (Microsoft Action Experience)
- AIO (All In One)
- MIND (Microsoft Interactive Network Device)
- FACE (Full Action Center)
- MITH (Microsoft Interactive Theatre)
- XON (Experience Optimised Network)
- MVPC (Microsoft Virtual Play Center)
- TAC (Total Action Center - discs/games could be called TACs)
- MARC (Microsoft Action Reality Center)
- LEX (Live Entertainment Experience)
- M-PAC (Microsoft Play and Action Center)
- RPM (Real Performance Machine)
- MOX (Microsoft Optimal Experience)
- E2 (Extreme Experience)
- MTG (Microsoft Total Gaming)
- VIP (Virtual Interactive Player)
- PTP or P2P (Powered To Play)
- VIC (Virtual Interactive Center - disks/games could be called VICs)
- MARZ (Microsoft Active Reality Zone)
- TSO (Three, Six, Zero)
- EHQ (Entertainment Headquarters)
- O2 (Optimal Ozone or Optical Odyssey)
- MIC (Microsoft Interactive Center)
- R&R (Reality and Revolution)
- MEA (Microsoft Entertainment Activator)
- AMP (Active Microsoft Player)
- VPS (Virtual Play System)
- MAP (Microsoft Action Play)
- MEGA (Microsoft Entertainment & Gaming Attendant or Microsoft Entertainment & Gaming Assembly)
- CPG (CyberPlayGround)
- VERV (Virtual Entertainment & Reality Venture)
- OM (Odyssey of the Mind)
- P2 (PowerPlay)
- IS1 (Interactive System In One)
- MET (Microsoft Entertainment Technology or Microsoft Entertainment Theatre)

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It's been almost 16 years since the PlayStation's primary input device last demanded real scrutiny. The introduction of the DualShock in late 1997 ushered a new standard for video game control that hasn't changed a whole lot over the past decade and a half. Sure, the peripheral has been host to a handful of tweaks over the years, scooping up accelerometers and spongy triggers along the way, but many of its changes have been iterative rather than evolutionary.

However, the DualShock 4, the brand new controller bundled with the PlayStation 4, represents the classic design's greatest progression since its very inception. And yet, beneath its impressive list of improvements remains a device that's still reminiscent of its predecessor from yesteryear. But could Sony's latest peripheral be the greatest input device ever conceived? The jury's still out, but the signs are certainly reassuring.

The first thing that you'll notice about the DualShock 4 is that it just feels right. While it may look a little peculiar in front-facing press shots - the touchpad appearing a little crude in the centre of the device - it melts into your hands like ice cream into the grooves of warm Belgian waffles. Your fingers are no longer forced to adopt an uneasy position around the rear of the unit - a common complaint of the original DualShock - instead slipping into the agonisingly ergonomic curves at the back of the peripheral.

The controller's slightly larger size gives it a little more girth to grip onto - particularly in the elongated handles - but it doesn't feel cumbersome or exaggerated as a result; its weight is comparable to the current DualShock 3, packing a few extra grams that are well dispersed throughout the chassis. Elsewhere, there's a texture on the back of the device that gives it a really polished finish.

A similar layer of love and attention has been applied to the triggers, which were perhaps the most disappointing aspects of the PlayStation 3's controller. Fortunately these feel exceptional, with the customary L1 and R1 buttons adopting a slightly rounded shape to fit into the bend of your index fingers. Meanwhile, the L2 and R2 triggers boast a much springier feel, and flick out at the tips to avoid slippage. Playing a game such as DriveClub, for example, demonstrates the improvements in this area, allowing you to precisely manipulate the acceleration of your vehicle.

The analogue sticks have gone through a similar process of refinement, shedding the loose motion of their predecessors. They now feel much more tightly connected to the chassis, allowing you to make much more minute motions with enhanced accuracy. The ribbed edges at the extremities of the mushroom-shaped inputs feel a little unnecessary, but are certainly not an irritation. It's perhaps worth adding that the sticks are now also placed further apart, meaning the chances of your thumbs connecting mid-game are much, much lower.

On the main surface of the controller, the improvements are less noticeable. The famous face buttons feel pretty familiar, though the removal of the analogue technology from previous controllers has resulted in a little more click. The d-pad mimics this, though it's still not quite as satisfying to operate as the excellent PlayStation Vita cross-stick. Elsewhere, the absence of the 'Start' and 'Select' buttons is a little jarring at first, but the new 'Share' and 'Options' inputs are at least well positioned to the sides of the touchpad. The colourful strip across the top of the device gives the DualShock 4 a pretty impressive futuristic look.

And as for that new addition itself, its inclusion is still yet to be fully justified. Titles such as The Playroom see you controlling Pong paddles with the tactile input, while Killzone: Shadow Fall allows you to cycle between the operations of your OWL support unit. It's definitely responsive and easily within reach, but we're yet to see a standout reason for its implementation. The device can be clicked for an added input, so if nothing else, it can be employed as an extra button when necessary.

The light bar, however, is much more interesting. First and foremost, the colourful strip across the top of the device gives the controller a pretty futuristic look. It's the first thing that you'll notice about the DualShock 4, and games such as Hohokum - which change the shade of the illuminated surface according to the hue of your snake - make it a novel and pronounced effect. Of course, this can also be tracked in a similar manner to the PlayStation Move, allowing you to spray champagne out of your controller in augmented reality games such as the aforementioned Playroom. Our only concern here is glare, which could become problematic on televisions with glass fronts.

Furthering the motion functionality, the accelerometers within the PS4 controller are also vastly improved. While the SIXAXIS technology in the PS3's controller felt jerky, its successor is able to detect even the most subtle of tilts. This is on par with the excellent accelerometers inside the PlayStation Vita, making us hope that developers actually use it in subtle ways moving forwards.

And if all of that wasn't enough, the rumble functionality in the DualShock 4 is far superior, too. As opposed to a single motor, the new unit actually boasts multiple vibrators which are spread across the device. This allows developers to create more believable feedback effects, which are perhaps best demonstrated, once again, in The Playroom. Here, when you tilt the controller in different directions, you can feel it vibrate on different sides. It's a cool effect that helps to create the illusion that you're moving objects around the internals of the device.

These additions and refinements result in a vastly improved controller. It's too early to say whether it will be gaming's greatest ever input device, but it's certainly a serious step forward from the DualShock 3. The enhanced feel, triggers, and analogue sticks will immediately delight veterans, while there's some serious promise in the new features, too. Our only concern now is returning to the current controller when we've had such a tantalising taste of the future.

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