Tag: drm removal

Posted on

For the Fans!

Hey everyone the feedback has been amazing lately. I greatly appreciate the level of passion followers have. I wanted to thank everyone for supporting Sonic Mercury. When I started I wasn’t really sure what to expect but I think that I quickly found my voice. Clearly videogames have been at the forefront of my updates lately. I promise more metal and horror related articles will be included on the site to help diversify content in the future. I am thinking a top ten 80’s horror movie list is in order.

 

Gamescom was huge! So much stuff was shown off their it really was hard to break it down. Here is a quick overview. Someone at the Sony conference said something like “unlike others, we have had a clear path for our new console.” There was outrage. People were like “Cheap shot!” “ohhh Sony slams Microsoft again!” “Scandalous!!” Honestly at this point who cares? Microsoft messed up really bad and burned a lot of bridges with gamers around the world. Whats done is done. Lets get on with what we all really care about, the shiny new consoles and their respective videogames. Nonetheless people definitely tried hard to make this one comment in a 90 minute presentation a big deal. Seeing the comment in context it sounded to me like the speaker was just saying that they have been focused with the PS4 and the path Sony was taking with their new console. Anyone who saw this as a major jab at Microsoft was reaching.

 

The PS3 slim model will have a limited edition model available next year in the color blue. Special Microsoft employee  only editions of the XBOX One were shown off and they will be white. What is it about videogame consoles in different colors that makes them more desirable? Is it that we actually like the other colors or is it more just owning something that others don’t? “I have a new console!” “That’s cool, I have it to but mine is blue.”

 

Lets see other news from Gamescom. Battlefield 4 reportedly looks a lot worse than expected in the port from high end PC’s to the PS4 and XBOX One editions. This is very disappointing news considering the game is highly anticipated and every demo of the game up until the Gamescom hands on demo were visually impressive.

 

The new revamped Dualshock 4 controller for the PS4 received positive feedback at Gamescom with many FPS fans saying they would now be more likely consider playing first person shooters on the PS4 in the future.

 

Lots more happened at Gamescom but there are some highlights for you. Thanks again to everyone who has been following Sonic Mercury and I promise plenty more content on the way. Look for more info on Sonic Mercury’s new YouTube channel SonicMercuryTV in the next few weeks. Bookmark SonicMercury.com for more unique perspectives on videogames, horror, and heavy metal.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

Posted on

gamescom 2013

Tomorrow, August 21, is the start of this years gamescom. The event has been held annually in Cologne, Germany since 2009. E3 is a big deal but Gamescom is the worlds largest gaming event. Gamescom is different than E3 because it is open to the public where as E3 is closed to the general public and is an industry only event, although if you apply early its not unlikely that a regular person could get a press pass to E3.

 

Obviously there is a lot of excitement for Gamescom this year. ( By the way really struggled with how to write it, Gamescom or gamescom because the official logo is stylized with a lowercase G. ) New consoles have been announced and their launch window is only a few months away. For Sony and Microsoft this is election year. E3 is where our potential candidates make their opening statements and this year the statements were very loud and polarized the entire gaming nation. Gamescom is like the next big debate for which console we should vote/pay for.

 

Sony to their credit really only revealed one completely new title ( The Order 1888 ) at E3 and still succeeded in one of the most exciting E3 conferences of all time with their announcements of consumer friendly policies. Microsoft on the other hand has been in a state of constant tailspin since the reveal of the XBOX One before E3. Mandatory Kinect functionality, restrictive DRM policies, poor explanations for XBOX One features and just plain arrogance on the part of former head of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment Don Mattrick did substantial damage among new and longtime gaming fans alike. Since E3 Microsoft has fought a steep up hill battle trying to win back the gaming community however recent consumer polls have shown that roughly 80% of those considering a new gaming console are in favor of Sony over Microsoft.

 

Their is plenty to look forward to this year at Gamescom. Which from the description sounds like its more like a videogame festival with rock and roll concerts and other entertainment throughout the event. Electronic Arts has promised a big announcement in regards to Europe’s largest sports franchise, so basically a FIFA 14 announcement. Earlier this summer president of Sony Entertainment Europe Jim Ryan commented when asked by a member of the press about Sony’s somewhat smaller showing of new games at E3 for Playstation hardware compared to rival Microsoft that its a long year with lots of gaming events and that Sony has a lot going on but had to hold some stuff back saying that they would still need some new stuff to show at Gamescom. Jim went on to say that the president of Sony Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment alone currently has 30 titles in development, 12 of which are brand new Intellectual Properties and overall 20 of the 30 titles in development will be shipping in the launch year of the PS4.

 

Meanwhile Microsoft interpreted the negative response to the XBOX One unveiling as having something to do with the fact that they mostly only showed the TV capabilities of their new system and not a lot pertaining to actual games. The backlash resulted in Microsoft showing a huge amount of games at E3, even the segue between game announcements had commercials for other games. Since the negative response to the XBOX One had a lot more to do with the horribly restrictive and poorly explained policies of the new system and not so much to do with the lack of games shown at its unveiling, the plethora of games shown at E3 combined with Sony really sticking it to Microsoft by announcing more consumer friendly policies and a $100 cheaper price tag, did very little to improve Microsoft’s image with consumers.

 

If Microsoft continued on the original path they had in mind for its new system it is likely that the XBOX One could very well have been known as the Damien of gaming. ( See the Omen ) Anyway Microsoft did what they did and the damage has been done. ( I still can’t believe Microsoft sent employees to BestBuy’s around the country to discourage customers from buying the Wii U. ) Policies have been overturned and management has changed. They say necessity is the mother of invention, I would have say its pretty necessary for Microsoft to show the world that they really have changed for the better and they still have great things planned.

 

Gamescom this year promises to be really memorable. Developers will be showing off their latest and greatest software. Sony will try to continue the awesome momentum it has had this year. Microsoft no doubt will try to redeem itself. One of the most interesting parts of Gamescom is that this will be the first event where regular people who aren’t press related will be able to go hands on with the PS4 and XBOX One. We will get honest feedback about how these systems really operate from people with first hand experiences. I for one can not wait to hear what they have to say.

 

There is no doubt that Gamescom is primed for some exciting announcements. I will give highlights so keep coming back to find out the latest about the greatest things from Gamescom 2013.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

 

Posted on

XBOX One News

Hey remember yesterday when it was reported that Microsoft had finally come to their senses and were no longer making the Kinect a mandatory piece of hardware for the XBOX One? That was a relief huh? Finally you could use the XBOX One to play videogames like a normal person again, not shouting expletives across your living room at people causing you injustices in online multiplayer games, or worried a troll will yell out “XBOX turn off!” in the middle of an epic boss battle? That was pretty great wasn’t it? The best part of no longer needing a Kinect to play videogames means that we no longer need to pay for a Kinect to play videogames. Well, not exactly. Everyone who would buy an XBOX One now that the system is obviously cheaper since Kinect is no longer a requirement take one step forward. Not so fast! Turns out that even though the XBOX One no longer needs the Kinect to function you still have to buy the peripheral with the system.

 

Yes, I wish I was kidding but Microsoft is insisting that the Kinect still be included with every XBOX One. This action is one of “What the hell?” I mean it is widely documented the unpopularity of Kinect and making it optional is a good move but you are still going to force people who don’t want it to buy it? At this time Microsoft has made no comments on the possibility of an XBOX One package without the Kinect, so for the foreseeable future anyone who gets an XBOX One is getting a Kinect. This decision is hard to accept considering that part of what makes the PS4 more appealing is that it costs $100 less than the XBOX One. This was Microsoft’s chance to price the XBOX One more competitively but no apparently Microsoft thinks that everyone needs Short Circuit’s disembodied head whether they want it or not.

 

It gets better though. Microsoft today has announced that 8 of the 21 countries that were supposed to be getting the new XBOX upon launch day this fall will now have to wait until “as soon as possible 2014.” ( Don’t worry though one if those countries is not the U.S. ) Apparently Microsoft is saying they jumped the gun and were too ambitious with their goals. Issues with region specific languages and dashboard content are being touted as some of the larger concerns right now. This is yet another thorn in the side of Microsoft as they try to compete with Sony for the title of top next-gen console. The 8 countries removed from the initial launch window this fall are Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Finland, Russia, Switzerland, and Sweden. Previously Microsoft had already announced that Japan would not be getting the XBOX One until 2014. The 13 countries still getting the XBOX One on its original launch day are Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and New Zealand.

 

While the countries omitted from the XBOX One’s initial launch window aren’t exactly in the biggest gaming markets it still doesn’t reflect well on Microsoft who have struggled greatly with the concept of what they wanted their new console to be versus what the people want their new console to be. Since the XBOX One was revealed last May a fierce war between company and consumer has been waged. Every time it felt like the consumer has won a battle against an unpopular feature on the XBOX One Microsoft has found a way to ruin that victory for everyone. The restrictive DRM was taken away, score one for the consumer, Microsoft takes away their poorly explained family sharing feature, everyone loses. The always online requirement is taken away, now people including soldiers overseas without a solid internet connection can still enjoy videogames in their downtime, then Microsoft announces that a day one online download is still mandatory for the XBOX One to function offline. Most recently with the news that the Kinect is no longer necessary for the XBOX One to function Microsoft insists that Kinect still comes in the box. Are you seeing a pattern here?

 

Microsoft has stated recently that at this years Gamescom event in Germany that they have some big exclusives yet to unveil. One exclusive is said to have something to do with Europe’s biggest franchise of which I am almost certain deals with the FIFA franchise. Hopefully whatever Microsoft does at this years Gamescom its something positive.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

Posted on

One – Kinect = Win

XBOX fans rejoice! Kinect is no longer mandatory! According to IGN during a recent Ask Microsoft Anything event XBOX Corporate Vice President Marc Whitten has stated that the Kinect is no longer required for the XBOX One to function. You can now use your videogame console for playing videogames just like nature intended. No awkward camera controls, no restrictive DRM policies. The removal of the mandatory Kinect functionality should come as a huge relief to fans as not having the peripheral means that now you should be able to acquire the new machine at a lower price and owners of the XBOX One will no longer have to worry about what happens to their console if the Kinect becomes damaged or broken.

 

The mandatory inclusion of the Kinect 2.0 peripheral for the XBOX One to function was a puzzling choice for Microsoft to make considering that the original Kinect had a fairly high dissatisfaction level among the people who bought it. It is understandable that Kinect 2.0 is supposedly a much more refined device but with the original Kinect’s poor reception among users, a mandated successor to the Kinect for the brand new XBOX One to function seemed counterintuitive.

 

Making the Kinect an option and allowing the XBOX One to function freely without it is the latest in Microsoft’s policy reversal’s. After the removal of the XBOX One’s highly restrictive DRM policies and always online requirements this latest concession from Microsoft is promising for the future of their newest console. The mandatory Kinect was one of the unpopular XBOX One features to survive the post E3 fallout where Microsoft reversed many of its other unpopular features. Microsoft’s direction with the XBOX one has changed drastically since this year’s E3 in June. This is largely in part because of abysmal reactions from the entire gaming community. Its inspiring to see fan feedback affect a billion dollar company like Microsoft so dramatically.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

Posted on

XBOX 180

Micro$oft has performed a 180

                        News is popping up from many different sources including IGN and Kotaku that Microsoft has rescinded on basically all of its draconian policies. The XBOX One no longer turns into a brick that only plays TV now when you don’t check in online every 24 hours. The XBOX One will now allow offline video game playing, however you will still require an internet connection to initially set it up. DRM is supposedly dead for now on the XBOX One. Region locks have been removed. It seems for the moment anyway that Microsoft has removed all the extremely restrictive features from their newest creation. The Kinect however, still mandatory for the system to function.

Don Mattrick President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft basically said this today, “Nobody wanted to buy our system,” (Look it up, a poll on Amazon yesterday had an overwhelming 95% stating they are buying a PS4 over an XBOX One) Don continues, “because no one wants to buy our system the way it is, which honestly may have had some really cool stuff on it but we acted like such arrogant douche bags about the whole thing we never even tried to tell gamers why we we’re implementing this new infrastructure for the XBOX One. We are going to go back on basically everything we said we were going to do. (KINECT STILL MANDATORY) Everyone seems to really, really, REALLY HATE the policies that we have with our new system and Sony isn’t going to do basically any of them. Given the fact that there is an overwhelming disdain for the XBOX One and I am literally sitting on what is and still potentially could be an XBOX One themed landfill. We here at Microsoft have decided instead of proceeding with what is at the moment a COLOSSAL FAILURE  in the eyes of millions and millions of wallets world wide,  me and my friends stand to lose a lot of cash, I mean ahem, the fans seemed not too fond of some of the XBOX One’s new features and we don’t want to let our fans down so we are going to end DRM”

In an YouTube interview on the Angry Joe Show a representative from Microsoft, “Major Nelson” arrogantly condescended to Joe as he politely asked honest questions about the restrictive nature of the XBOX One. Even going so far as to ask Joe “Don’t you want to come to the future with me Joe?”  Joe wasn’t allowed to finish his answer as the interview was cut short but he later said I do want to go to the future of gaming but I want to own my games not rent them from you.

There are so many things to think about now that Microsoft has rescinded on DRM and most of its other restrictive features. (EXCEPT FOR the always on KINECT which supposedly now has a “sleep mode but its still listening for “certain keywords”) For one thing if Microsoft was so sure that there business model for the XBOX One was the “future of gaming” then why not stick to your guns? Another thing to consider now is that even though it appears that Microsoft is rescinding on its policies we all now know what there real thoughts of the consumers are and where there true intentions lie. They don’t care about the gamers at all. What they wanted was a micro-transaction paradise filled with “free to play” titles, “the first one is always free.” A dystopian future where no one owns there games they simply rent them from Microsoft. “Hey I am not really crazy about this game I just got can I bring it back?” No, well that’s OK I will just give it to a friend. “Your not allowed to have friends unless Microsoft says its OK!” “Hey I am a soldier overseas and after a day full of getting shot at and protecting my homeland I like to come back to base and play some video games, its cool I don’t have any internet connection out here right? I just want to play some single player games anyway.” Fuck you! You want to play video games, buy an XBOX 360 the XBOX One is not for you!

Even though Microsoft has rescinded these absolutely despicable policies.  It is really hard to forget that Microsoft was willing to enforce such brutal restrictions on its loyal fans, the people who built the XBOX brand. The people without whom Microsoft wouldn’t even be here at this moment to release a third console! To top it off the non-existent effort made by Microsoft to politely explain the purpose of its policies, such as implementing DRM or a system that becomes useless if you don’t plug it in to the internet every twenty four hours, and not explaining these features in a way that is easily understandable to the average person is very unsettling. How can you trust them if they can not give you a straight answer? Instead Microsoft’s approach was very arrogant, very condescending. They acted like people should just “lie back and take it” as is so famously quoted now in there Killer Instinct stage demo during there E3 conference. Watch the interview with Don Mattrick and Geoff Keighley on the Gametrailers channel and also watch the interview that Angry Joe did with “Major Nelson” on YouTube they are pretty telling of the mindset at Microsoft upon releasing this abomination into the mass populace.

The only thing I could really think of when considering how Microsoft could be so disconnected from their core audience is that maybe they never actually polled their core audience. Maybe everyone who tested an XBOX One wasn’t primarily a console gamer but a PC gamer and that is why Microsoft actually thought designing the XBOX One the way they did was a good idea. PC gamers are used to DRM with online gaming however they still have a choice as to where to get there games. Ultimately I think Microsoft is not wrong in thinking that the future of gaming is digital. I do however think forcing it down our throats with a smug disposition really was not a great approach. Sony and the PS4 definitely seem like a better ship to be on these days if your a gamer. How will the console wars end up? That is a hard one to answer but its easy to see that Sony and the PS4 have a strong lead, and rightfully so with its gamer friendly culture it seems a much better place to be gaming right now.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Posted on

Micro$oft

                               Anyone who saw the XBOX ONE reveal definitely has to wonder what Microsoft is thinking. They took a department of their team wholly created for the purpose of home gaming and turned there next big console into a glorified DVR with voice controls and MANDATORY kinect units. Watching the XBOX ONE reveal was like watching Microsoft slowly commit gaming suicide for an hour. Oh I know E3 will change everything. To be fair it is totally within the realm of possibility that Sony can still mess up at E3, but now with the confirmation that  XBOX ONE has to be connected to the internet once every 24 hours for your games to work and you can only lend a game to ONE of your friends, allowing of course that they have been your XBOX live friend for over thirty days makes the next generation of gaming look pretty grim.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N