@mjc @I_are_Cake This review was written prior to the patch that Sumo Digital produced to fix the problems. I believe it would be very appropriate for GameSpot to re-review the game post-patch. If they could do it for "Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing" SIX YEARS after the original netted the infamous 1.0 review, they certainly can do it for this, as well.
@ken_wakashimazu Apparently someone doesn't understand how the free market works. If consumers truly didn't like Microsoft's console or the services it provides, consumers wouldn't buy it, and it'd be relegated to the dust-heap of history just like the previous next-gen American consoles, like the 3DO and Jaguar.
Similarly, if consumers didn't like the online services, or they felt that what they were getting was not worth the money they were spending ... you guessed it, they wouldn't buy it. Microsoft would then be forced to either reduce the cost of the service to attract more users, find a way to make it free, or shut it down and cut their losses.
And yes, not owning the system is a perfectly viable option. The last time I was in a store, I didn't see anyone holding a gun (proverbial or otherwise) to a consumer's head and forcing them to buy a gaming console.
@grognard Well said. If Live was really that awful and not worth the money, nobody would be spending the money on it, especially nowadays. As the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for". And apparently, users who pay for Live like what they get, just as those who pay for temporary free games on PlayStation Plus (yes, the "free" games offered by Plus are free as long as the paid membership is maintained).
Will Live be free or reduced cost with Durango/XB720? Possibly. Again, it will be based on market and cost-benefit analysis for both Microsoft and the system's potential consumers.
@redzed24: Appearance is indeed one thing ... so is quality. I'd rather watch a 27" tube TV running "M*A*S*H" than a 46" HD LED 3D LSMFT (Google that one) television running "Glee" or some of the other tripe that's masquerading as "entertainment" nowadays. I still have my Genesis, Sega Master System and (gasp) Atari 2600 hooked up because, believe it or not, a large number of the games on these systems are still fun. Yes I love the "Batman: Arkham" series and a great racer like "Forza Motorsport" or "Burnout", but to me, they have the same thing in common with classic games like "Adventure" and an 8-bit copy of "OutRun": they are fun to play. And to me, that's what counts.
@EdibleFood: HoY4 has a point, however. Yes, both launched at $250, but as the previous Sony vs Nintendo handheld battle proved, technology doesn't necessarily win out. On paper, the PSP was technologically far beyond the DS, but the DS trounced it in the one and only arena that really counts in this business ... retail sales. You can quote stats and count pixels all you like, and you'd be correct in saying that technologically the Vita is more powerful. But in the end that won't matter, because what retailers are actually counting are the units that get rung up at the register. Whichever unit sells more gets more ... shelf space in the store, support from said store's salespeople and support from developers. Remember that Sony didn't outright deny the recent story of developers taking their projects from Vita to 3DS; they only said the exodus was "largely exaggerated", meaning developers are indeed jumping ship, which at this early stage is not a good sign. Can Sony turn it around? Absolutely, and I hope they do.
Looks like everyone's trying to update at once ... got a speedy 'net connection and it's going really slowly to get the update. Still, it's gettin' it ;)
I'll just do what I did with the last few "attachment" releases (Wii Play, Wii Fit, MKWii) ... pre-order the game that comes with MotionPlus. Hopefully I'll be able to pre-order an extra sensor to give me two of them, which will be enough for my needs.
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