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zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14518

So Microsoft went first and announced a new Fable game , that they will throw in a game to try and make you less distracted by the big price differences between Xbox one and PS4 (Fifa) and a bit about indie stuff

Liveblog : http://www.lazygamer.net/xbox-360/games ... -liveblog/

Not many news pages covering it yet

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08 ... _hp_ref=uk

Quote:

Xbox One Gamescom Showcase: Microsoft's Confirms Free 'FIFA 14', Independent Developers Programme And New Games

Microsoft has announced that all Xbox One pre-orders will come with a free copy of FIFA 14 - and that it is making a renewed push to attract indie developers to the platform.

The gaming world has gathered at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, to hear what's coming for early adopters just months from the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One.

But Microsoft made an early show-stopping announcement by confirming that pre-orders of its new console would come with a free copy of EA's massive new sports game.

The announcement represents a huge boost to Microsoft's next-gen sales pitch.

FIFA 14 will also come with exclusive content on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, including an "Ultimate Team Legends" mode featuring classic players alongside current stars.

Microsoft also unveiled a new self-publishing programme for Xbox One, which will allow developers to more easily publish and sell their games.

Here are the other top lines from Microsoft's event:

FIFA 14 will have exclusive Ultimate Team content on Xbox. Ultimate Team Legends will be available only on Xbox, and allow players of the mode to collect legendary players to join their squads. Footballing lengends Freddie Ljunberg and Ruud Gullit joined Microsoft and EA execs onstage to pitch the new mode. (They'll also be the first Legends to be "dropped into" the game.
Peggle 2 and Plants Vs Zombies Garden Warfare will come to Xbox One first at the start of 2014
Xbox One Call of Duty Ghosts bundle available at launch, including exclusive content, with multiplayer maps available first on Xbox Live (price TBA)
Minecraft creator's Mojang announced that the studio's new multi-platform 2D shooter 'Cobalt' will be coming to Xbox One
Fable Legends: a new game in the storied franchise, described as the "most beautiful" Fable game ever and introduced with a rendered trailer. "For the first time, up to four heroes can co-operatively play and explore, or even play as the villain and mastermind the entire game in real time," Microsoft said.
Fighter Within: an intense new fighting game releasing exclusively on Xbox at the end of 2013

Microsoft is the first of the major companies to make its pitch at this year's event, and opened its showcase with a focus on how it will use its new platform to work with indie games and developers.

Indie gaming is an area in which Microsoft has received some criticism in recent months, but the company made a renewed claim to be a natural home for developers at the event. It said Xbox One will be a natural and inexpensive place for developers to build and release games, and promised fresh "discovery" technology to ensure games get seen alongside traditional AAA titles in its online store.

The Independent Developers @ Xbox program (ID@Xbox) represents a major new push for the company to attract indie talent to the platform, after Sony was widely seen as taking an early lead on that effort with its PS4.

In a press release Microsoft listed the new Xbox Live features for indie games:

Trending will show what your friends and the community are playing
Recommendations will highlight new games you may like, based on what you like to play
Spotlight will showcase Editor Picks for great games across the entire store
With Game DVR and Upload, gamers can instantly capture their favourite moments and edit and share them with their friends around the world
Achievements and Challenges enable developers and the community to create special events out of games

Next up is EA at 15:00 UK time , and then Sony at 18:00

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:11

They really must not be getting many preorders at all to do that. How much must they be paying EA for that?

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14518

SilentElk wrote:

They really must not be getting many preorders at all to do that. How much must they be paying EA for that?

Wikipedia stuff for Fifa 13

Quote:

Sales and revenue

FIFA 13 sold more than one million copies (1.23 million units in 48 hours) in the United Kingdom in its first week of release (the fourth game to do so after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3), and topped the UKIE charts on all formats week ending September 29, 2012 4.5 million copies were sold worldwide in five days, with 7.4 millions units sold four weeks after its release, which makes the game the biggest videogame launch of 2012 and biggest sports videogame launch of all-time according to EA As of May 2013 FIFA 13 has sold 14.5 million copies.

Thats a *really* big title to be giving away like that

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

But! There'll be another one next year. It's a loss leader. Player base is important. And let's not forget, FIFA sold that much last year when millions of consoles were already installed in homes. The number of people pre-ordering MS' overpriced spying device will be much lower.

A smarter move would be to toss shitty fucking Kinect, then I might start paying attention again. In the meantime, they can keep giving publishers money for exclusive DLC and I'll carry on with my life.

Mr Dave · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:23

Given I am about as interested in playing Fifa as I am in getting herpes, that just makes me less keen on getting it.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

FIFA 13's in-game purchasing stuff has apparently been a big moneyspinner for EA, so another way of looking at this is EA experimenting with free-to-play. It might make more than enough money from the (presumably even bigger) IAP options in FIFA 14 to offset any loss of sales from the pack-in deal. Plus, presumably, Microsoft has given it lots of lovely, lovely money.

Note that the "free game" is only a download code (so you can't trade it in), is only for pre-ordered Xbox Ones (so presumably this offer disappears the day the Xbone launches), and is "while stocks last".

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:26

WTB wrote:

A smarter move would be to toss shitty fucking Kinect, then I might start paying attention again. In the meantime, they can keep giving publishers money for exclusive DLC and I'll carry on with my life.

Yep. Even if they removed Kinect now and reduced the price by £80, it's left too much of a sour taste for me to consider getting one at launch.

However, a Kinectless SKU would move it from my 'pick up preowned in 2018' list to my 'buy new sometime in 2015' list.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

It'll be a shame to miss out on a new Fable game as I enjoyed the last two but still, fuck them. The fact they're giving away the new FIFA game shows just how utterly terrified they (rightly) are that no one will buy their console; that'll be costing them an utter fuckton of money. Given that the difference between the Xbone and PS4 is much more than a copy of FIFA will come out at they're welcome to anyone who's stupid enough to be convinced by that move. It does nothing to convince me to pick their platform either as slightly tweaked annual sporting franchises are the kind of games you'd have to force me to play at fucking gunpoint.

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:27

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

"while stocks last".

Those digital shelves don't stock themselves!

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:28

Bamba wrote:

It'll be a shame to miss out on a new Fable game as I enjoyed the last two but still, fuck them.

The last two Fable games were that Kinect monstrosity and that horrible-looking LittleBigPlanet rip-off. Fable 2 was brilliant, but I found Fable 3 boring.

I won't miss Fable.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Mr Dave wrote:

Given I am about as interested in playing Fifa as I am in getting herpes, that just makes me less keen on getting it.

But getting it is the fun part!

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38663

I fear that anything MS do now will be seen as fear-oriented and as such are doomed to fail. Even stuff that may have already been on the roadmap will be dismissed as a kneejerk.

Mr Dave · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:29

SilentElk wrote:

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

"while stocks last".

Those digital shelves don't stock themselves!

Last I checked, you won't download an xbone.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

DavPaz wrote:

I fear that anything MS do now will be seen as fear-oriented and as such are doomed to fail. Even stuff that may have already been on the roadmap will be dismissed as a kneejerk.

Their own fault! Why does this worry you, DavPaz?

KovacsC · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:31

DavPaz wrote:

I fear that anything MS do now will be seen as fear-oriented and as such are doomed to fail. Even stuff that may have already been on the roadmap will be dismissed as a kneejerk.

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:32

Mr Dave wrote:

Last I checked, you won't download an xbone.

They're missing a trick then. Imagine if you could download the 'Bone through your 360? It would then seep out of the USB slots and within five minutes be transformed into the new console.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

SilentElk wrote:

Bamba wrote:

It'll be a shame to miss out on a new Fable game as I enjoyed the last two but still, fuck them.

The last two Fable games were that Kinect monstrosity and that horrible-looking LittleBigPlanet rip-off. Fable 2 was brilliant, but I found Fable 3 boring.

I won't miss Fable.

Fable 3 wasn't as good as Fable 2 granted but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The simple but flexible combat hits the sweet spot for me and there was still enough exploration and odd quests to keep things interesting.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

Mr Dave wrote:

SilentElk wrote:

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

"while stocks last".

Those digital shelves don't stock themselves!

Last I checked, you won't download an xbone.

Do keep checking though, and let us know if that changes won't you?

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

SilentElk wrote:

Mr Dave wrote:

Last I checked, you won't download an xbone.

They're missing a trick then. Imagine if you could download the 'Bone through your 360? It would then seep out of the USB slots and within five minutes be transformed into the new console.

If we can make it look like the car upgrade animations in Crackdown then I'm in.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

The new Fable game is an online-only 4 player multiplayer thingy.

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:37

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

SilentElk wrote:

Mr Dave wrote:

Last I checked, you won't download an xbone.

They're missing a trick then. Imagine if you could download the 'Bone through your 360? It would then seep out of the USB slots and within five minutes be transformed into the new console.

If we can make it look like the car upgrade animations in Crackdown then I'm in.

I emailed Don Mattrick about it a couple of months ago, but all he seemed interested in talking about was Words with Friends.

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:38

WTB wrote:

The new Fable game is an online-only 4 player multiplayer thingy.

But is it easy? That's all Bamba cares about these days!

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Piece of piss if you play with three Pro Gamerz.

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:39

WTB wrote:

Piece of piss if you play with three Pro Gamerz.

What a quandary!

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38663

WTB wrote:

DavPaz wrote:

I fear that anything MS do now will be seen as fear-oriented and as such are doomed to fail. Even stuff that may have already been on the roadmap will be dismissed as a kneejerk.

Their own fault! Why does this worry you, DavPaz?

Because I'd prefer two strong systems in competition than a single behemoth in dominance.

And I'd really prefer not have to buy a Sony system.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

WTB wrote:

The new Fable game is an online-only 4 player multiplayer thingy.

Excellent, that means it's dead to me anyway. Thanks Peter!

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:41

DavPaz wrote:

And I'd really prefer not have to buy a Sony system.

Platformist.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38663

SilentElk wrote:

DavPaz wrote:

And I'd really prefer not have to buy a Sony system.

Platformist.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

There's always WiiU!

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38663

WTB wrote:

There's always the 360 for another 3-4 years until you can possibly afford something new!

FTFY

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 14:45

WTB wrote:

There's always WiiU!

If it's not dead in the water next year, it's possible I may take a punt. An outside shot though. It is more likely than me getting an XBO though, which would have been laughable a year ago.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14518

SilentElk wrote:

I emailed Don Mattrick about it a couple of months ago, but all he seemed interested in talking about was Words with Friends.

Off topic - but have you seen the latest add ons to Words With Friends ?

The first was vaguely interesting - the Stats pack which would tell you your highest scoring words , how many times you've used a 10 point letter on a triple word , your total wins vs losses etc etc - but it costs £4.99

And the other one changes the game to now be 'cheat' with your friends - you can buy "The Vision" , which will either install a newly appointed Mod who doesn't know how to use the twisty arrows on pictures *or* look at the letters you have and the tiles already on the board and offer you 3 different 'high scoring' options which are available to you.

All for the low low price of 99p (for 10 uses)

Mr Dave · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 15:07

Pay to win. Wai.

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 15:10

zaphod79 wrote:

SilentElk wrote:

I emailed Don Mattrick about it a couple of months ago, but all he seemed interested in talking about was Words with Friends.

Off topic - but have you seen the latest add ons to Words With Friends ?

The first was vaguely interesting - the Stats pack which would tell you your highest scoring words , how many times you've used a 10 point letter on a triple word , your total wins vs losses etc etc - but it costs £4.99

And the other one changes the game to now be 'cheat' with your friends - you can buy "The Vision" , which will either install a newly appointed Mod who doesn't know how to use the twisty arrows on pictures *or* look at the letters you have and the tiles already on the board and offer you 3 different 'high scoring' options which are available to you.

All for the low low price of 99p (for 10 uses)

Yes, all very awful. How do you know you're playing against someone who's skillful or just paying for these cheats?

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14518

Main points from EA seem to be

The Sims 4 (next year)
Command & Conquer free to play game
Dragon Age Inquisition
PvZ 2 for consoles
Peggle 2

(not quite finished yet)

TheVision · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 17:14

zaphod79 wrote:

And the other one changes the game to now be 'cheat' with your friends - you can buy "The Vision" , which will either install a newly appointed Mod who doesn't know how to use the twisty arrows on pictures *or* look at the letters you have and the tiles already on the board and offer you 3 different 'high scoring' options which are available to you.

All for the low low price of 99p (for 10 uses)

I see what you did there. If only my deficiencies were limited to moving pictures around.

throughsilver · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6197

SilentElk wrote:

Mr Dave wrote:

Last I checked, you won't download an xbone.

They're missing a trick then. Imagine if you could download the 'Bone through your 360? It would then seep out of the USB slots and within five minutes be transformed into the new console.

Good idea. Sadly, T-1000 isn't invented for another 16 years.

I like citing sci-fi stuff that should exist.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

Well Sony just won Gamescom.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

Any good summaries about?

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

WTB wrote:

Any good summaries about?

LewieP wrote:

Well Sony just won Gamescom.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

I've not seen any, but Sony basically just showed a boatload of games.

At E3 MS said "We love indie games, that's why we've got Minecraft, exclusive to Xbox One".

And then today, Minecraft got announced for PS3, PS4 & PS Vita.

MS announced their plans for self publishing for Xbox One, but there's some pretty key details missing. They have said that they require release date parity with other consoles, which sounds to me like they're going to refuse to let anyone self publish on Xbox One if you've already signed a deal with Sony that includes any exclusivity window (Sony are pretty flexible, but usually ask for at least a month's exclusivity when they are funding a game, or in exchange for huge marketing support). They're also only opening self publishing up to established devs that have already successfully shipped a game, so in that way at least this is a step back from XBLIG, where there was no barrier between beginners/hobbyists/professionals.

Indie dev hero Rob Fearon surmised it thusly:

Quote:

So to summarise today's news. Microsoft: We asked 50 indies what self publishing should look like. Sony: We signed 50 indies last week :/

Grim... · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 20:57

How do you sign an indie?

TheVision · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 21:00

I personally think Sony are welcome to the Indies because I'm yet to play an indie game that I've enjoyed anywhere near as much as a "proper" game.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

You can't have played any good ones, then.

Super Meat Boy, Binding of Isaac, Spelunky, FTL, Cave Story, to name but a few off the top of my head. All of them more entertaining than any "AAA" game I can recall in the last year or so barring Dark Souls.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

Grim... wrote:

How do you sign an indie?

Depends on the game and developer.

It seems like the journey starts on Sony with a developer tweeting at their Indie guy, and then taking it from there. This is pretty much how come Jeff Minter is working on a Vita game now.

Roundup of Sony's press conference here.

myp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 21:08

TheVision wrote:

I personally think Sony are welcome to the Indies because I'm yet to play an indie game that I've enjoyed anywhere near as much as a "proper" game.

Hotline Miami, Journey, Fez, Surgeon Simulator, Spelunky, Monaco, Antichamber, just to name a few.

If you're basing indie games on the shite that came out of XBLIG, then you've missed out on some incredible games.

Grim... · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 21:10

Surgeon Simulator is rubbish, you fool.

Funny, but shit.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

We're starting to get more ambitious games from indie studios too. Instead of trying to develop on a near zero budget, we're getting developers finding pretty decent financial success from their first games, and then either expanding their team, or spending more time on their games.

Look at the jump in graphical fidelity from Frozen Synapse to Frozen Endzone, or Braid compared to The Witness. Then Thomas Was Alone dev Mike Bithell, who after having a pretty big hit, is hiring more celebrity voice talent for his next game, he's going to be doing some motion capture, and he's hired of staff to work on it with him.

Not to mention crowdfunding and such.

I think in 5/10 years time, you wouldn't really be able to reliably tell what is an indie game and what isn't just by guessing how much money was spent making it.

Indie is a pretty nebulous term anyway.

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

TheVision wrote:

I personally think Sony are welcome to the Indies because I'm yet to play an indie game that I've enjoyed anywhere near as much as a "proper" game.

This is only because you can't arrange the spines on a shelf

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