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| The ugly, profitable details about Xbox Live advertising |
| By Thom Holwerda on 2012-07-14 03:10:08 |
| "People who don't play video games would be forgiven if they turned on an Xbox 360 and didn't realize it was a device used to primarily play games. The first screen you see on the Xbox 360 Dashboard is often a mixture of ads for all sorts of goods and services, and many times games are in the minority of ad slots. The latest redesign increased the ad space that can be sold to advertisers, and that in turn increased this problem. Let's be clear, it is a problem." No kidding. I pay for Xbox Live, yet I'm being bombarded by useless crap ads. It's ridiculous. And yet I don't stop playing. It seems as if there's a solution to this problem in there somewhere, but I can't quite put my finger on it. |
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| Comment by sagum |
| By sagum on 2012-07-14 04:12:42 |
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I used to love the idea of xbox live and the all in gaming service it provided with the xbox live arcade games being some of the most played content I own. However, I've pretty much left it alone. The interface is poor at best and getting blasted by adverts all the time really starts to wear thing quickly. It almost feels like I'm being used and abused for being a paying customer. I play on an offline account mostly and buy with my live enabled account. Saves watching all the adverts and useless crap, and actually speeds up the interface. I've since got back into PC gaming thanks to indie bundles that have been doing the rounds and I have to say, steam has matured rather well and we have things like desura coming along and a multitude of sites even offering trade in on digital games (greenmangaming for example). Tack on the super savings from sales on the PC, it makes me wonder why I even stuck with the xbox for so long. Its a shame, as it had good potential but money grabbing was/is going to be its down fall. Edited 2012-07-14 04:15 UTC |
 - Score: 4 |
| A solution somewhere? |
| By darknexus on 2012-07-14 05:32:17 |
| How about doing what everyone on here always says to do: vote with your wallet? If you don't like it, don't pay for it and make it damn clear why you're not paying for it any longer. I'm not a gamer, but I'd have to think there are good games and solutions out there apart from Xbox Live, right? |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE: A solution somewhere? |
| By Lion on 2012-07-14 05:55:19 |
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In order to play networked multiplayer on xbox, it is necessary to pay for Live Gold. Suggesting that people jump ship is not really a valid option as that would require giving up not just the console, but access to multiplayer in the already-purchased games library. If you were to suggest simply jumping ship for future purchases... That's a little more valid but there's still issues with the people you play with not being on the competing platform's service - lack of access to your friends. That doesn't even bring the functionality into play... Live is a more capable and better integrated multiplayer service than is offered on PS3. I am saying this as a PS3 player. That said, I play more games on Steam than I do on my PS3 these days. TL;DR: Voting with your wallet is not as simple as you might think (or hope)as an external viewer of the situation Edited 2012-07-14 05:56 UTC |
| - Score: 3 |
| Consoles lost the war against other platforms |
| By moondevil on 2012-07-14 07:27:51 |
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The PS2 was my last games console. I become disappointed with the way console updates are shovelled down users throat, the requirements to buy (at the time of lunch) expensive TVs to be able to use them, copycat games of the same old concepts. Getting mobile or PC Indie games (Mac/Linux/Windows) is way much better, and one is not bothered what a big corporation thinks games should be. |
| - Score: 4 |
| RE: Consoles lost the war against other platforms |
| By Neolander on 2012-07-14 08:43:23 |
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Well, I agree for PC games, but since the mobile market is just as badly controlled by megacorps as the console one, it really depends on which OS you are buying into. Apple have a very good idea of what software should be, and will never hesitate to ban anything that doesn't suit their taste. Google, on their side, are often criticized for doing exactly the reverse and not giving a shit about what goes on their Play Store. I don't know where exactly Microsoft stand between these two extreme approaches, but from the general way they handle their platform, my guess would be that they are closer to Apple than Google. Edited 2012-07-14 08:45 UTC |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE: Consoles lost the war against other platforms |
| By WorknMan on 2012-07-14 08:47:14 |
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> I become disappointed with the way console updates are shovelled down users throat, the requirements to buy (at the time of lunch) expensive TVs to be able to use them, copycat games of the same old concepts. True that. These days, gamers are taking it up the ass in so many different ways, it's not even funny. On the 360, you have to pay to use the online service, and they STILL show you ads, plus you have to pay to access features that are free on other systems. On the PS3, they remove features from the system and force firmware updates down your throat almost every time you turn it on. And neither one has an interface that's worth a damn. And on both systems, you have games being sold that cost $80-$90, which includes $60 for the game plus another $20+ for DLC (which they're even starting to ship locked on the disc, no longer pretending that they're not f**king the consumer.) And what about the PC? Well, you can buy games you never really own (Steam), or you can have games hold you hostage by either forcing you to be online to play, or installing some horrible shit that runs in the background, in order to ensure you're not a pirate. And is it any better on phones? Well no, not really: http://www.reviewlagoon.com/?p=5... This kind of thing is going to continue indefinitely, and you know why? Because gamers will scream, bitch, cry, moan, start up petitions, and do whatever else. But when the next military shooter flavor of the month comes out, they'll be there on launch day to take it up the ass, just like they always do. Hell, maybe they should bring some Vaseline to the store with them when the next-gen consoles come out. Somebody said 'voting with your wallet is not that simple'... well, why the hell not? This stuff isn't air... you don't HAVE to have it :P As for me, I'm glad not to be a part of any of that anymore. If I want to do some gaming, I might plunk down some cash for one of the Humble Bundles (Braid and Super Meat Boy FTW), or just fire up an emulator and play the classics. As for the other stuff, I just don't have the patience for all of the bullshit anymore. Enough is enough. |
| - Score: 5 |
| RE[2]: Consoles lost the war against other platforms |
| By ssokolow on 2012-07-14 09:16:35 |
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Agreed. Humble Bundles, GOG.com games, the odd Indie Royale bundle, the DRM-free games on Desura, and emulators are definitely the way to go. The most network-DRMed thing I own is Minecraft and I bought that way back before the first Humble Bundle made indie games for Linux trendy and easy to find. (I actually have more working games than I can play, and I'm a Linux user who only buys games on sale and only for $2.50 or less if they weren't already on my TODO list.) ...and, lately, I've had too many other interesting things (like programming, reading, and watching stuff off ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com) on offer to do much gaming anyway. All I've really been playing recently is my GOG.com copy of Legend of Grimrock. (It runs perfectly in Wine) There's plenty of entertainment to be had without compromising your principles if you know where to look. (There are even some free gems on PlayDeb.net that you can get Windows or OSX builds for if you visit their websites) |
| - Score: 4 |
| RE[2]: Consoles lost the war against other platforms |
| By moondevil on 2012-07-14 09:21:14 |
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> Well, I agree for PC games, but since the mobile market is just as badly controlled by megacorps as the console one, it really depends on which OS you are buying into. Android & Symbian |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[3]: Consoles lost the war against other platforms |
| By Neolander on 2012-07-14 12:17:44 |
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Indeed, I had forgotten about it but side-loaded self-signed apps have enough capabilities to implement games on Symbian, so on this platform developers don't have to fear the banhammer either. Edited 2012-07-14 12:20 UTC |
| - Score: 1 |
| This is a problem? |
| By BluenoseJake on 2012-07-14 13:43:05 |
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Do you spend your time sitting on the home screen? I know I don't. I just turn it on, wave over to what I want to do, and play that game, watch that movie or listen to my music. I certainly couldn't care less what ads are on the home screen. I don't think most other people do either. Sounds like one of those "First World Problems" to me Edited 2012-07-14 13:43 UTC |
| - Score: 3 |
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