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The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 28, 2013, 04:25 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
However, I've been through enough dark days with Sony that I'm not going to revel in any of this news. It appears they have their crap together for this generation, but we'll see.
Oh stop trying to reverse jinx. No matter how bad it is, we'll always have xbox one to shit on.

Edit: reposting so it doesn't et lost on the new page

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post


There are license issues... with showing your own OS...
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 28, 2013, 04:46 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post


There are license issues... with showing your own OS...
Hoooooly crap, this doesn't sound good...

I don't understand how they keep screwing up every tiny bit of info in the build-up to November 22.
     
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Oct 28, 2013, 04:51 PM
 
Following up:

I read through his tweets from today, and he's talking about music and movies that they don't have the rights to show.

So he's telling us that they couldn't find a movie studio or music label that wouldn't be willing to get some free publicity by displaying their content in a live demo?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 28, 2013, 04:57 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
So he's telling us that they couldn't find a movie studio or music label that wouldn't be willing to get some free publicity by displaying their content in a live demo?
Exactly. It doesn't become more plausible from that angle. They didn't think that people might want this months ago? Its three weeks from launch and they don't have these contracts finalized? Will every person who streams demos on release be in some kind of violation?

Edit: People are already surmising that the bone54 may even have some key features turned-off at launch because they just aren't ready.
     
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Oct 28, 2013, 05:51 PM
 
Incredible. You would have thought that MS were using some experienced IT Project Managers. Sounds like they've got people from where I work.
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 02:50 AM
 
Face-Off Preview: Battlefield 4 next-gen vs. PC • Face offs • Eurogamer.net

All in all, we can only give a preliminary outline of how Battlefield 4 will run on next-gen consoles, but there's plenty here that should remain the case for the final release in November. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that, in this near-finalised state, the PS4 offers a superior experience on several fronts. The resolution is higher at 1600x900, as compared to the tried and tested 1280x720 on Xbox One, suffering as it does for more visible aliasing artefacts. Visually, the PS4 has a marked advantage with ambient occlusion effects too, which simply isn't matched on Microsoft's platform with the build we played.
Our observations so far reveal a clear gap in fidelity between PC and PS4, and again to Xbox One, but sub-pixel break-up aside, based on what we've seen so far, the Microsoft console manages to hold up despite the undeniable, quantifiably worse metrics in terms of both resolution and frame-rate.
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 06:18 AM
 
"We'll fix it in crunch"
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
mattyb
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Oct 29, 2013, 08:19 AM
 
the Microsoft console manages to hold up despite the undeniable, quantifiably worse metrics in terms of both resolution and frame-rate
Its undeniable and can be quantified how much worse it is, but it manages to hold up?
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 08:34 AM
 
Originally Posted by mattyb View Post
Its undeniable and can be quantified how much worse it is, but it manages to hold up?
"Please MS, don't pull our advertising dollars."
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 29, 2013, 09:30 AM
 
It's eerie, but thanks to color issues, the Xbox One images look better...



...until
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 29, 2013, 10:06 AM
 


Notice anything weird in this pic?

 
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 10:33 AM
 
It has been announced, though. What is the small blue blob to the right of the PS3 logo?
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 29, 2013, 10:34 AM
 
PSN logo
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 10:59 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
It's eerie, but thanks to color issues, the Xbox One images look better...
The exaggerated contrast makes things look more stylized at times, then indiscernible at others. That could come down to a matter of preference.

But yeah, there's no doubt that the aliasing is looking nasty.

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post


Notice anything weird in this pic?
Surely it's just an oversight..................isn't it?
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 11:04 AM
 
From the IGN review of Assassin's Creed IV:

Even after putting in well over 40 hours with the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 versions, I’m still discovering new islands to explore and tombs to raid.
[EDIT] I goofed earlier.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 29, 2013, 11:09 AM
 
After AC III I have no interest in Assassin's Creed. Also, **** water.
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 11:13 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
After AC III I have no interest in Assassin's Creed. Also, **** water.
I've never understood the lasting appeal of the series. The combat sucks, the sneaking is boring, the climbing is clunky...I never managed to finish Assassin's Creed II.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 29, 2013, 11:18 AM
 
Do you not like stealth in general or do you think the game fails at it? I found the stealth quite rewarding in Brotherhood. Trying to kill commanders without alerting a single person could be intense.

I actually liked the side stuff on AC III a bit but the main storyline was dreadful gameplay.
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 11:33 AM
 
No, I love stealth. MGS and MGS 2 were two of my favorite games of all-time.

I felt like AC acted like it was "next-gen" stealth, but the guards often followed artificial routes, the crowds that you'd merge into didn't feel organic, the hay stacks are ridiculous, and a few other nitpicky things. There was just something about it that I can't quite quantify, but just felt slightly off. That said, I liked the stealth a lot better than the combat.

Also, continuing the now long-running tradition of being almost exactly the opposite of you, the Caribbean pirate story actually has a far greater chance of pulling me in for another try. I love pirates, water, and the idea of naval combat. Money is probably going to be stretched thin though, so maybe I'll pick it up in a Black Monday deal or something in a year or two.
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 12:35 PM
 
I started with AC II and AC:B, and I liked both of them. Great environments, engaging characters, fun gameplay with climbing and running. The downsides were the framework story with Desmond (silliest story EVER in a video game) and that it got repetitive. AC:R was still pretty good - only problem was that the diluted the good gameplay with boring sidelines. AC I was lots of promise, where you could see where it was going to be good eventually, but it wasn't ready yet.

AC III is what happens when a project loses its creative lead. Some good core ideas, single segments that worked, but nothing new worked, now even the in-period story was bad, and the choice of time period was terrible. Moved from the unique periods of the first games to the over-used American Revolution. The cities were boring, and there was so much "Skyrim-y" tasks to do with the Homestead. The one new thing that was fun was the naval battles, but that's not enough for an entire game. I'll pick it up when it's $5 on Steam.

What reviews I've seen have not been promising - and btw, haven't we had a number of badly received games in a row now? Rome II, AC IV and Batman: AO have all had rather lukewarm reviews.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 12:38 PM
 
Speaking of stealth games, reviews for Arkham Origins say the game is mediocre. Too bad.

Here's hoping that Rocksteady is secretly working on a Justice League game.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 29, 2013, 02:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
No, I love stealth. MGS and MGS 2 were two of my favorite games of all-time.

I felt like AC acted like it was "next-gen" stealth, but the guards often followed artificial routes, the crowds that you'd merge into didn't feel organic, the hay stacks are ridiculous, and a few other nitpicky things. There was just something about it that I can't quite quantify, but just felt slightly off. That said, I liked the stealth a lot better than the combat.
Ever play Hitman? The artificial routes are to make the game playable. Otherwise where you can hide becomes random and luck based.


Originally Posted by P View Post
I started with AC II and AC:B, and I liked both of them. Great environments, engaging characters, fun gameplay with climbing and running. The downsides were the framework story with Desmond (silliest story EVER in a video game) and that it got repetitive. AC:R was still pretty good - only problem was that the diluted the good gameplay with boring sidelines. AC I was lots of promise, where you could see where it was going to be good eventually, but it wasn't ready yet.
I remember when Assassin's Creed originall came out all the reviews were "the story take this strange unexpected turn" and then I went over to my friends house as he started it up. Good lord, what an unnecessary storyline (Though I give them credit for using the conceit to completely integrate the video game experience (including menus, etc.) as the in game experience.


Originally Posted by P View Post
AC III is what happens when a project loses its creative lead. Some good core ideas, single segments that worked, but nothing new worked, now even the in-period story was bad, and the choice of time period was terrible. Moved from the unique periods of the first games to the over-used American Revolution. The cities were boring, and there was so much "Skyrim-y" tasks to do with the Homestead. The one new thing that was fun was the naval battles, but that's not enough for an entire game. I'll pick it up when it's $5 on Steam.
I also think it suffered from the longer development time allowed them to just throw stuff in, and they very obviously cribbed noted from RDR.

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna View Post
Speaking of stealth games, reviews for Arkham Origins say the game is mediocre. Too bad.
Not surprising, though. Felt rushed to market, IMO.

---

Amazon says I get my PS4 the week of the 22nd.
     
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Oct 29, 2013, 03:16 PM
 
Batman: AO was not made by Rocksteady who made the first two. This is the equivalent of Treyarch making odd-numbered Call of Duty games - keeping the seat warm, but not adding anything new.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 09:49 AM
 
Titanfall became a MS exclusive. This blindsided even Respawn where previously it was a timed exclusive.

Anybody care?
     
Jawbone54
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Oct 30, 2013, 10:28 AM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
I started with AC II and AC:B, and I liked both of them. Great environments, engaging characters, fun gameplay with climbing and running. The downsides were the framework story with Desmond (silliest story EVER in a video game) and that it got repetitive. AC:R was still pretty good - only problem was that the diluted the good gameplay with boring sidelines. AC I was lots of promise, where you could see where it was going to be good eventually, but it wasn't ready yet.

AC III is what happens when a project loses its creative lead. Some good core ideas, single segments that worked, but nothing new worked, now even the in-period story was bad, and the choice of time period was terrible. Moved from the unique periods of the first games to the over-used American Revolution. The cities were boring, and there was so much "Skyrim-y" tasks to do with the Homestead. The one new thing that was fun was the naval battles, but that's not enough for an entire game. I'll pick it up when it's $5 on Steam.
The framework story is ridiculous. Absolutely hated it.

You think the American Revolution is overused? I know there have been a few RTS PC games that covered it, but as far as console gaming is concerned, I've seen very little of it.

What reviews I've seen have not been promising - and btw, haven't we had a number of badly received games in a row now? Rome II, AC IV and Batman: AO have all had rather lukewarm reviews.
Maybe all the true A-teams are working on next-gen-specific games. At least I hope so, after the huge investment I'm about to make.

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna View Post
Speaking of stealth games, reviews for Arkham Origins say the game is mediocre. Too bad.
I didn't even enjoy Arkham City as much as Arkham Asylum. The freshness was gone, and I'd much prefer to roam Gotham itself after having gone through all of Arkham Asylum. It's a perpetual tease.

Here's hoping that Rocksteady is secretly working on a Justice League game.
Amen.

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Ever play Hitman? The artificial routes are to make the game playable. Otherwise where you can hide becomes random and luck based.
True, but there's this fine line that AC seemed to step over from time to time. For instance, why are guards walking back and forth across the angled rooftops of civilian homes?

The parkour aspects didn't always work, either. I always thought Infamous' climbing mechanics were far less cumbersome, which probably ruined part of my AC experience.

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar
Titanfall became a MS exclusive. This blindsided even Respawn where previously it was a timed exclusive.

Anybody care?
Yes, because it's currently the next-gen game with the most buzz.

No, because I don't think the frenetic gameplay is going to have the sort of legs that a Battlefield or CoD might. It definitely looks cool, but also borderline exhausting.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 11:40 AM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
True, but there's this fine line that AC seemed to step over from time to time. For instance, why are guards walking back and forth across the angled rooftops of civilian homes?
To prevent the player from just hanging out on roofs once he alerts guards on the ground.


Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
The parkour aspects didn't always work, either. I always thought Infamous' climbing mechanics were far less cumbersome, which probably ruined part of my AC experience.
Don't know infamous but I never had any issues with parkour (or any that were memorable)


Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Yes, because it's currently the next-gen game with the most buzz.
Most buzz, eh? I can't disagree. Watch Dog, maybe? Ironically, Respawn will be locked away on the Xbox and Destiny will be on both. I'll probably buy it just from lack of titles.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 11:44 AM
 
GTA 5 has sold-in 29 million copies; more Take-Two financial results here | VG247

In six weeks. ****ing crazy, right? Outsold San Andreas which I think was the previous high water mark. With the holidays yet to come, next-gen double dipping and price drops/game of the year this thing has potential to hit like 50 million, right?
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 12:57 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
You think the American Revolution is overused? I know there have been a few RTS PC games that covered it, but as far as console gaming is concerned, I've seen very little of it.
I mean in media in general. The AC II games in particular focused on a period that we rarely see. There was the Borgias series, but I think it came after AC II. I wish AC would go back to that sort of thing, either by going further back into history (bronze age assassins?) or by going outside Western civilization. They way they're headed, AC V is going to be starring Billy the Kid.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Stogieman
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Oct 30, 2013, 01:20 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Titanfall became a MS exclusive. This blindsided even Respawn where previously it was a timed exclusive.

Anybody care?
It sucks but I'll have Destiny and BF4 to hold me over until Titanfall 2.

Slick shoes?! Are you crazy?!
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 01:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Most buzz, eh? I can't disagree. Watch Dog, maybe? Ironically, Respawn will be locked away on the Xbox and Destiny will be on both. I'll probably buy it just from lack of titles.
Watch Dogs definitely had a ton of interest, but it feels like it gradually lost its mojo ever since the unveil, especially since they keep showing the same freaking scenario at every event.

Originally Posted by P View Post
I mean in media in general. The AC II games in particular focused on a period that we rarely see. There was the Borgias series, but I think it came after AC II. I wish AC would go back to that sort of thing, either by going further back into history (bronze age assassins?) or by going outside Western civilization. They way they're headed, AC V is going to be starring Billy the Kid.
Billy the Kid? Cowboys? Bandits? Six-shooters?

Count me in.

Originally Posted by Stogieman View Post
It sucks but I'll have Destiny and BF4 to hold me over until Titanfall 2.
Amen.

I've pre-ordered BF4 and FIFA, but after selling a few items, it looks like Killzone will be my third purchase. The multiplayer in KZ2 was incredibly addictive, and as I've mentioned before in this thread, very different. It's a great change of pace.

Destiny and Second Son are my future must-haves.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 01:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Billy the Kid? Cowboys? Bandits? Six-shooters?

Count me in.
No way its better than RDR.
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 02:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
No way its better than RDR.
Agreed. Don't care.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 02:21 PM
 
OK, no way it'll be a ghost of RDR.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 03:17 PM
 


Boom, headshot.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 03:24 PM
 
BTW, this implies the corpse of infinity ward must be a shit developer. BF4 on X1 is 720p doing with much more taxing graphical effects and maps. They couldn't even get it to, say, 900p.

The math: PS4 pushes out 54% more pixels than the X1 in BF4. 125% more in CoD.
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 03:46 PM
 
A PS4 FAQ has been released by Sony. Highlights include:

No audio CD or MP3 audio file playback
No external storage support
No DLNA support
Day one update needed with an activation in it to be able to play DVD or Blu ray movies (There's a Blu-ray Disc version if you don't have an internet to download it from).

Not good news if you intended it to be a living room media player

Sony releases massive PlayStation 4 FAQ as launch approaches | The Verge
PlayStation 4: The ultimate FAQ – PlayStation.Blog.Europe

It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 04:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by ajprice View Post
No audio CD or MP3 audio file playback
I don't think I ever used, this save perhaps streaming music into a game (so, like twice)
Originally Posted by ajprice View Post
No external storage support
Sucks.
Originally Posted by ajprice View Post
No DLNA support
No idea what this is.
Originally Posted by ajprice View Post
Day one update needed with an activation in it to be able to play DVD or Blu ray movies (There's a Blu-ray Disc version if you don't have an internet to download it from).
At least they offer a disc instead of being all "If you want to watch blu-ray and DVD without the internet we already have a product for you, the PS3"


Also, I forgot I'll finally have a blu-ray player soon!
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 04:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by ajprice View Post
A PS4 FAQ has been released by Sony. Highlights include:

No audio CD or MP3 audio file playback
No external storage support
No DLNA support
Day one update needed with an activation in it to be able to play DVD or Blu ray movies (There's a Blu-ray Disc version if you don't have an internet to download it from).

Not good news if you intended it to be a living room media player

Sony releases massive PlayStation 4 FAQ as launch approaches | The Verge
PlayStation 4: The ultimate FAQ – PlayStation.Blog.Europe
I agree. No MP3 smacks of RIAA.

And DLNA lol :

The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is a non-profit collaborative trade organization established by Sony in June 2003, that is responsible for defining interoperability guidelines to enable sharing of digital media between multimedia devices.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 04:41 PM
 
Hahaha, they didn't use their own tech. I assume it must be pretty dead then?
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 30, 2013, 04:45 PM
 
Someone posted tis on GAF:


Also, best joke I've heard yet is with CoF and BF4 both being 720p MS should have named it the XBOX 720 after all.
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 05:30 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Hahaha, they didn't use their own tech. I assume it must be pretty dead then?
Sony like to open things up, and then when others are making money interoperating with their tech, they shut the door and only have their own proprietary stuff - sort of like memory cards for their cameras or the PSVita. Scares me a bit.
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 06:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
I didn't even enjoy Arkham City as much as Arkham Asylum. The freshness was gone, and I'd much prefer to roam Gotham itself after having gone through all of Arkham Asylum. It's a perpetual tease.
I feel the opposite. Everything good about AA was made better in AC, and everything crap about AA (the boss fights in particular) was fixed and polished.

I've thought about firing up AA again, but dealing with the tedium of killing Poison Ivy's plants or wandering very, very slowing thru Killer Croc's sewer doesn't inspire me much.
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 06:29 PM
 
Playback support of CDs and MP3s is easy enough to add in later if anyone asks for it. External storage should also be fairly easy, but takes a lot of time to test because it has to work with all USB storage devices without losing files, and there are some terrible devices out there. All of these are fairly easy things to drop if you're running out of time.

DLNA is basically standardized iTunes sharing - you share your media library from one device and play it from another that is connected to a bigger display, in this case the PS4. Given that the server part is supported by a lot of routers, an easy way to show downloaded media on your TV is usually to drop it on a USB disk, connect that disk to the router, enable DLNA and then open your file from whatever client device you have (e.g. my TV has it built in). Since a lot of those players bundled in other devices are terrible, it might be nice to have something with a little horsepower as the client.

Hmmm… All of these have one thing in common: Not playing media that comes from outside the Sony Playstation ecosystem. Maybe not so accidental after all.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
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Oct 30, 2013, 06:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by lpkmckenna View Post
I feel the opposite. Everything good about AA was made better in AC, and everything crap about AA (the boss fights in particular) was fixed and polished.

I've thought about firing up AA again, but dealing with the tedium of killing Poison Ivy's plants or wandering very, very slowing thru Killer Croc's sewer doesn't inspire me much.
I thought that AA was better, but mostly because of the scarecrow episodes. AC failed me in that it always pushed me to follow the main plot without letting me play around in the open world. I actually decided to play that some more now that AO got bad reviews (although Kuchera seems to like it) and hopefully I will have learned to stop in time this time.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
lpkmckenna
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Oct 31, 2013, 07:34 AM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
I thought that AA was better, but mostly because of the scarecrow episodes.
That stuff was indeed awesome. There are some trippy moments in AC too, but they aren't nearly as solid.

Originally Posted by P View Post
AC failed me in that it always pushed me to follow the main plot without letting me play around in the open world.
Really? On my first play-thru, I felt the opposite, that the game was constantly pulling me from the main story. (Another ringing phone?) But overall I thought they really nailed the semi-open-world, and you can ignore all the side quests if you want to. And the "Second Knight" feature was awesome, letting you re-play the main mission from the beginning with all the gadgets and power-ups, stronger enemies, yet leaving any incomplete side-missions and trophies still available if you want to do them. It felt very tight.

Originally Posted by P View Post
I actually decided to play that some more now that AO got bad reviews (although Kuchera seems to like it) and hopefully I will have learned to stop in time this time.
"So safe it's almost boring" didn't sound like an endorsement to me.

I also have been playing AC, but mostly the Riddler's Revenge stuff. Getting all three medallions on "extreme" maps has been a nightmare, but a fun one.

After the bugs are patched, I might pick AO up. I might even wait for the Mac version, if there is one. Hopefully, there will be a Steamworks version, since the Mac App Store version of AC used Game Center, which was really damn annoying.

I am mostly interested to see the areas that AC and AO share, and I understand when Joker shows up, the game gets really good. It would be great to finally fight Killer Croc too.

I wish the game wasn't such a clone of AC, though. The fact that Batman's gadgets are almost exactly the same as AC, plus the new electro-gauntlets, seems like a missed opportunity. I would have preferred starting with a much weaker Batman, without the grapnel gun or detective vision, and gaining stuff until you had a similar load-out to AA. (I suspect the devs might have tried without the grapnel boost and it just wasn't fun or something. That boost really is fun as heck, and part of what makes AC so polished.)
     
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Oct 31, 2013, 08:34 AM
 
Originally Posted by lpkmckenna View Post
Really? On my first play-thru, I felt the opposite, that the game was constantly pulling me from the main story. (Another ringing phone?) But overall I thought they really nailed the semi-open-world, and you can ignore all the side quests if you want to. And the "Second Knight" feature was awesome, letting you re-play the main mission from the beginning with all the gadgets and power-ups, stronger enemies, yet leaving any incomplete side-missions and trophies still available if you want to do them. It felt very tight.
I've thought about why that is, that I feel driven to the main story and then being pulled out by the bits like the phones. AA is basically a Metroid setup (or Metroidvania, although there are many Castlevanias that don't follow that formula) where certain parts are locked up until you get the right gear, but you basically follow a main path from which you can deviate and go back and find some more gear. A true open world game like Skyrim (or Oblivion or Fallout 3) simply drops you in a game, gives you a slight introduction and then goes away and lets you do what you want. The main quest is fine, but the only thing pushing you to it is the quality of the quest compared to everything else.

AC basically tries to be open world, but it fails because there is a lot of the AA style of pushing you along. They push you to do the main quest (and make a big point that it's urgent - you're poisoned and Strange keeps counting down on the radio) and then have to push you to do other things. There is so much pushing that you don't get in the habit of exploring, and that's why it fails as an open world game.

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna View Post
"So safe it's almost boring" didn't sound like an endorsement to me.
You're right, I'm misremembering. Assasin's Creed IV was the one he endorsed, which surprised me a little.


Originally Posted by lpkmckenna View Post
I wish the game wasn't such a clone of AC, though. The fact that Batman's gadgets are almost exactly the same as AC, plus the new electro-gauntlets, seems like a missed opportunity. I would have preferred starting with a much weaker Batman, without the grapnel gun or detective vision, and gaining stuff until you had a similar load-out to AA. (I suspect the devs might have tried without the grapnel boost and it just wasn't fun or something. That boost really is fun as heck, and part of what makes AC so polished.)
Agree. It would be great with only the Batarang and the grapnel, though: No silly Batarang variants or explosive goo or line riders etc.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 31, 2013, 09:29 AM
 
Originally Posted by P View Post
Hmmm… All of these have one thing in common: Not playing media that comes from outside the Sony Playstation ecosystem. Maybe not so accidental after all.
Considering all the positive features they have for gaming, I'm ok with this. No company is a saint, after all.
     
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Oct 31, 2013, 10:23 AM
 
Originally Posted by ajprice View Post
A PS4 FAQ has been released by Sony. Highlights include:

No audio CD or MP3 audio file playback
No external storage support
No DLNA support
Day one update needed with an activation in it to be able to play DVD or Blu ray movies (There's a Blu-ray Disc version if you don't have an internet to download it from).

Not good news if you intended it to be a living room media player

Sony releases massive PlayStation 4 FAQ as launch approaches | The Verge
PlayStation 4: The ultimate FAQ – PlayStation.Blog.Europe
PS4: The Ultimate FAQ – North America – PlayStation.Blog

This news is pretty bad. I primarily use my PS3 as a media playback device..... this is pretty much a deal breaker for me as the other features of the box (gaming) are secondary.
     
The Final Dakar  (op)
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Oct 31, 2013, 10:31 AM
 
Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a View Post
PS4: The Ultimate FAQ – North America – PlayStation.Blog

This news is pretty bad. I primarily use my PS3 as a media playback device..... this is pretty much a deal breaker for me as the other features of the box (gaming) are secondary.
You're on a mac forum. Bite the bullet and get an apple tv. (That's my back-up plan).
     
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Oct 31, 2013, 11:38 AM
 
ArsTechnica's take on the PS4 FAQ, they have picked something up, being logged in to 2 systems simultaneously with the same profile.
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/1...ssive-ps4-faq/

It'll be much easier if you just comply.
     
 
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