MrKniceGuy.com

Category: Sony

  • The Console War Is Not A War Between You And Me (Opinion)

    The “Console War” is win win for gamers

    PS4 Next-Gen ConsoleI’ve been thinking and what I’ve come up with is that the “console war” isn’t and really shouldn’t be between gamers. Gamers have a common bond, and that bond is their deep and passionate love for video games. The real war is between the companies who make consoles and I believe that’s a healthy thing. The manufactures of consoles have a business to run, and that business is providing consoles and games to the millions of gamers all around the world. It’s really a beautiful thing when you stop and think about it. Companies vying for that special spot right under your TV, getting you to use their social systems with other gamers and ultimately getting you to play their latest, hottest games. It really puts gamers in the drivers seat for the future of gaming. In this war, we have a vote. And we vote with our dollars.

    Keep comments constructive please

    Xbox One Next-Gen ConsoleBut as I look around the internets, mostly what I see is people grouping up into “PS4 fanboys” and “Xbox One fanboys” groups and slinging comments like “my conzolls is better than urz becaze I can (fill in the blank here)!!11one.” While some discussion about what each console does better than the other can be very helpful (especially to those who haven’t decided yet what console they’re going to purchase first or if they’re even getting more than one), it doesn’t help gamers as a whole. Rather than slinging mud, talking about the facts and advantages that each console offers is a much better way of sharing with others about why you’re excited about the next-gen systems. And that’s a much better way to interact with fellow gamers.

    Be excited about the future

    Any way you cut it, the future of video gaming is bright. With veteran console manufactures vying for your gaming dollars, the competition is fierce. And as gamers, we should be excited for how manufacturers are working to make the best gaming systems they can. Why? Well, ultimately they want your money. But to get your money they’re going to have to make killer gaming machines.

    Gamers win

    I’m excited for the future of the “Console Wars.” Not because I’m participating in the war, but because I am helping decide the outcome. And the war is about me as a gamer. Who doesn’t love being the source of an epic battle of interest?

    How about you? How do you feel about the console war as a gamer?

  • Day One Patches and Next-Gen Consoles

    Day One Patches and Next-Gen Consoles

    Next-Gen Consoles Future is a Wired (or Wireless) One

    I just wanted to mention a little something about next-generation consoles and the internet. There was quite a huff a little while ago when a major next-gen console maker mentioned their device would require an internet connection to work.

    Next-Gen Consoles need the intenetThe reality is that all next-gen consoles (both PS4 and Xbox One and even going back to the Wii U) need an internet connection to work the way we’ve grown to expect. And I’d even go out on a limb and say I bet that you have an internet connection at home. (Unless you’re reading this at the library. Are you?). The reality is, pretty much anyone buying a next-gen console has internet, or has reasonable access to the internet. And while this first run of the next-gen consoles need a day one update, the ones manufactured later will most likely have the necessary updates in place (for military personnel, which is just about the only argument for cases regarding gamers without reliable internet).

    The Future of Wired Consoles is Bright

    Bottom line is, the next generation of consoles (both the PS4 and the Xbox One) will be “amazing.” And that “amazing” needs to be updated as the launch moves forward. Developing the OS and features will continue throughout the lives of the systems (look at the changes to the Xbox 360 dashboard over its life as an example) and a connection to the internet is a must to have the latest and greatest on your PS4 or Xbox One.

    I feel weird when my console isn’t connected to the internet, which is hardly ever the case. I for one have no problem with day one updates for next-gen consoles that bring new amazing features we’re only just beginning to understand how they will change gaming (and I think I’m with you in hoping for the better).

    Now, if the servers that host these updates don’t crash on launch, everything will be fine. But we’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there.

  • DRM – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    DRM isn’t a new term, but it sure has been gaining popularity as of late. DRM stands for Digital Rights Management and to put it simply, it is the tool that manages how an end user accesses digital content. DRM takes on many different forms; from encryption, to license checks over the internet, to limiting the number of installations. When a user encrypts their data, they are employing a form of digital rights management (something you should be happy you are able to do!). An encrypted DVD is using DRM to prevent illegal copies from being made without permission. Or a video game technology with empty blocks used to prevent duplication.

    ServerDRM usually has a bad reputation, and to be honest, it’s earned it fair and square. Seasons of DRM content becoming unavailable due to a management server being shut down, or rootkits employed on CDs to prevent distribution have plagued users since the inception of DRM. And DRM is in a constant struggle over controlling digital media that is quite easy to copy and distribute (commonly called “pirating” media). There is a very real tension between trying to make content easy to access, but not too easy.

    Book publishers are in the midst of learning how to distribute digital media right now. Amazon has a pretty heavy-handed DRM approach to books, but users don’t have a problem with it at all. Why? The make it incredibly easy to access their content. Most of the devices they sell  to use the content (like the Kindle) can get it anywhere they have a 3G connection. Amazon is also a huge company with arguably some of the best servers in the world.

    Music has had a rougher go of it. During the time span between 2006 and 2008 several major music distribution services shut down servers that allowed users to listen to the music they bought. Not being able to access music that users paid for was, to say the least, frustrating to honest consumers. The growing pains of DRM has caused many people to be bitter about the whole process.

    Movies have yet to settle on a good method, although some are trying to make access easy and long-term. Services like UtlraViolet, Amazon, Google Play and Apple iTunes allow access to movies and TV, albeit heavily tied to DRM.

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