There has been much information coming out of E3 this week. Most of which deals with games. However, the biggest most important information we gamers can take from E3 is the difference between the XBOX One and the PS4.

Here are some of the facts:

XBOX One:
• Price $499
• Requires once every 24 hours check-in. This still hasn’t been clearly stated as to why and what happens if you don’t check in, not to mention how long your console won’t work for once you do turn it back on to check in. (If it has been mention, please someone give me a link so I can post it) I will say this. I’m NOT a child who needs to be baby-sat. Why MUST I check in with you Microsoft? Big brother indeed.
• Kinect included (A MUST feature that you can not choose to NOT have) With the tech this new Kinect has (being able to read heart rate, heat signatures, bone structure, is just a bit TOO invasive to me.) The tech sounds cool, but it’s implementation leaves something to be desired, IMO.

PS4
• Price $399
• No daily check-in
• No Kinect, which also means no invasive look at your bodice.

Now the matter of used games being bought/sold for fees or not is still muddy to me. Both companies have said you can buy/sell/trade their games without additional fees. However,  if you look at those words carefully they both said THEIR games, not third-party games. So it could be taken as games developed by XBOX and PS won’t have costs, but outside developed games might. Again, offiicial links to say otherwise would be helpful.

Yes, there are more comparisons, but these are the ones that jump out at me the most and what I see/hear/read other gamers talking and complaining about.

Now on top of this we have Don Mattrick, President, Interactive Entertainment Business for XBOX saying that if you don’t have the internet, then stick with the 360. (Essentially saying the XBOX One isn’t for you.) He comes across as rather smug and further shoots Microsoft in the foot by this following comment: “When I read the blogs and they talked about who’s really most impacted, it was a person who said ‘Hey, I’m on a nuclear sub’,” said Mattrick. “I don’t even know what it means to be on a nuclear sub, but I’ve got to imagine it’s not easy to get an Internet connection.” How can you not know what it means to be on a sub? Really? Dude, you’re a president of a major corporation. You got to that position somehow. I’d hope smarts have something to do with it. If that’s the case then you should know what a sub is and that they don’t have easy access to the internet for casual purposes such as playing video games. He goes on to say, “It isn’t just about price, it’s about value. It’s the value for the price. What I believe is we have incredible value for the price we’re offering our system. And I think it’s unmatched compared to other things.” Um, hello there Don (may I call you Don)…XBOX 360 integrated movies, sports music and many other things into it without costing us anything more. So you’re basically saying we MUST have a Kinect (When that tech while better still isn’t perfect) with the new XBOX? How about giving us a “XBOX One Lite” that doesn’t have the Kinect and for $100 less… I’m fine with using my controller to get around, really, it’s okay Don.

Look, we know Microsoft wants to propel gaming (and other entertainment sources) into a full connective media. However, judging by the reaction from the gaming community at large that is something WE don’t want. Couple that with the creepiness of the Kinect being able to look at you and derive your heartrate, bone structure, heat signature and it’s just too much. Now add that you have to check in with them? Give me a frakin’ break. Oh and “Fantasy sport”…really? How many people are going to use that Microsoft? That was a selling point in your initial press release…really?

Sony/Playstation said all the right things in their conference at E3. Now we need to wait and see if what they said remains true or not. But in the meantime, Microsoft MUST counter this by either back pedaling on their new structure for the XBOX One or adding something so much more positive and better than the PS4 can give that gamers just can’t ignore it. Right now, MS is NOT doing that. And I highly doubt they are going to go back on their procedures for XBOX One now. That would look bad on them, even if it was to save face in the gaming community. And with comments like the one Mattrick stated above…well, the damage has clearly been done.

I’m a HALO fan. NOT a Microsoft fan. I was a Playstation gamer before switching to XBOX. When I discovered Halo for myself I was hooked on that game. I didn’t look back to Playstation even though I missed out on two of my favorite other franchises, those being Ratchet and Clank and God of War.

The community of gamers with XBOX is the only other thing next to Halo that is keeping me with XBOX. That said, if MS doesn’t give 343 more leeway with Halo and Halo 5 is just a good game, well…this gamer might have to think about some things. I want Halo to succeed. That much should be obvious due to my gamertag: HaloFanForLife1 Plus the fact that I have a whole blog dedicated to HALO!

But I’m NOT going to continue to support a company (MS) who can’t see past itself and the mistakes it is making all in the name of technological advancement.

We now as Halo fans have a greater understanding as to why Halo 4 was not the complete game we expected. The team at 343 was divided into the Halo 4 team and the Halo 5 team. Not to mention that small portion that had to advise on Spartan Assault, as well as those for Halo CE Anniversary. WAY too much on their plate for a start-up developer, even with MS throwing all sorts of money their way to get it all done.

We as Halo fans suffered a Halo game, that while good, was definitely not all it could and SHOULD have been. I blame this on Microsoft, not 343. It’s very obvious now why 343 was sweating it out when Halo 4 launched. It’s also obvious why we’re not getting a Spartan Ops season two, even though we were lead to believe this would be an ongoing series past season one.

Gawd, give me the opportunity (and management power) to right this course and I know I could bring something to the Halo franchise that would bring back the confidence in it’s fans. But that’s a whole other thing. I’ve applied twice to 343 before and it didn’t go anywhere…

Anyway, that aside, I won’t be getting the XBOX One at launch. Not just for all the restrictions, but also the likely bugs that the first adopters are going to have to deal with. Also, Halo isn’t launching first day.

Microsoft you MUST come clean as to why all these restrictions and rules need to be. Convince me why I should plunk down an extra $100 for your console. And you know what…Don’t be smug about it. Be apologetic for your XBOX President’s words. Bring your console back to being mostly and MAINLY a gaming console.

Does this mean I’ll switch to Playstation? Likely not. Actually what it may mean is that I give up gaming altogether when the 360 servers are finally shut down. Maybe I’m getting to old for this, but I do NOT want a company being able to look at me while I game. I do not need/want all of this extra connectivity. gawd knows life is already way to more complicated than it need be. You say you’re trying to simplify that, but in reality, you’re just making it easier for us to have MORE complicated lives…

In closing, Microsoft, PLEASE for yourselves and your consumer (you know the ones that actually drive your PROFIT margin) back off on these restrictions. Come clean with what those restrictions mean and for gawd sakes LOWER the cost of the XBOX One to MATCH the PS4!

Respectfully,
Sal Salerno
Owner/Blogger
HaloFanForLife.com

I want to take the time to thank all of you new to my blog for checking it out. I cover everything Halo. From the games to toys and collectibles, fan art to fact vs. fiction of the Halo-verse and more.

I hold contests from time to time, so be sure and sign up on the blog as they are exclusive to blog members. It’s FREE to sign up. You can click the “Register Me” above or shoot me an e-mail at sal@halofanforlife.com and let me know you want to sign up. You’ll need to provide me with what you want you’re screen name to be and what you want your password to be. (I do this to prevent spamming accounts)

HFFL’s TWO year anniversary is coming up soon and I will definitely be having contests with prizes for that. So if you want to take advantage of that, register.

Also, you can follow me on Twitter ( @halofanforlife) or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/halofanforlife11. It’s the registered blog members though that get the chance at the Halo Swag!

Also, if you’re so inclined I recently opened up a HFFL swag store. This is a work in progress and I will have a lot more up on there shortly.

Thanks again and please keep coming back. Oh and less my long time readers think I’m not thinking about you, a HEARTY thank you for continuing to drive me to make HFFL better!

I appreciate you all GREATLY!

-Sal

You’re going to have the link to this soon. In the meantime, I want you all to know that I support the XBOX. Let me make that crystal clear. My comments during the podcast make it sound like I’m not. In actuality it’s a plea for Microsoft to learn what the perception is from the great public the difference between it’s XBOX One and the Playstation 4. The Sony conference at E3 did a great job pandering to the audience. They said all the right things. Even if that doesn’t win them this new console war, they most certainly won the first salvo. And this is all about impressions, first impression to be more precise.

Microsoft has to account for that and rebuff Sony/PS4. They need to come clean with some things, and definitely need to change other things associated with the XB1 prior to launch if they are to not just succeed but beat Sony/PS4.

I’m going to admit that Destiny looked pretty darn good. But I’m a Halo fan (for life). So that means for me, I’m sticking with Microsoft and the XBOX franchise. However, that doesn’t mean I have to like all the presumed hurdles we will have to jump through to be gamers on the XB1 console.

So bear this in mind folks should you listen to Podtacular’s podcast that I was in last night.

I want MS/XB1 to succeed. I mean that. But they’ve got a LOT of ground to make up, just to come even with PS at this point. I don’t just want that. I want MS/XB1 to supercede Sony/PS4.

Long live Halo and long live Master Chief!

-Sal

Q:    Does Xbox One require an “always on” Internet connection?
A:    No, it does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet. We’re designing Xbox One to be your all-in-one entertainment system that is connected to the cloud and always ready. We are also designing it so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies and live TV if you lose your connection.

Q:    How do consumers benefit by being connected to the cloud?
A:    The cloud makes every experience better and more accessible.  Because Xbox One is powered by the cloud:

• Your games have more power available to create new gameplay, persistent worlds, and deeper experiences.
• Your system and games can update automatically, so you shouldn’t have to wait for downloads or updates.
• Your games and entertainment are stored and saved in the cloud, so you can access them anytime, from any Xbox One.*
• Start a game, movie, or TV show on one console and finish exactly where you left off on another.
• You can play multiplayer games with your friends, stream movies or TV shows right away, and enjoy the community and social features of Xbox Live.
• Xbox One can recognize you, log you in and tailor your home screen just for you.

You can discover what your friends are playing, watching and listening to if they choose to share.
These are just a few examples of how customers benefit from our platform being connected to the Internet. It brings the future of TV and games to our consumers—and it’s designed for today and the decade ahead.

* Subject to content geographical restrictions.

Q:    When will Xbox One launch and in what markets?
A:    Xbox One will launch in markets around the world later this year. We’ll have more to share later.

Q:    Can I use my current gamertag on Xbox One and will my Gamerscore and Achievements transfer?
A:    Yes. Your current Xbox Live Gamertag will stay with you on Xbox One if you choose to keep it, and your hard-earned Gamerscore and Achievements will indeed carry over from Xbox 360.

Q:    Will Xbox One be backward compatible with my existing games?
A:    Xbox One hardware is not compatible with Xbox 360 games. We designed Xbox One to play an entirely new generation of games—games that are architected to take full advantage of state-of-the-art processors and the infinite power of the cloud. We care very much about the investment you have made in Xbox 360 and will continue to support it with a pipeline of new games and new apps well into the future.

Q:    Will Xbox One allow players to trade in, purchase and play pre-owned games? 
A:    We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games. We’ll have more details to share later.

Q:    Will my current Xbox Live Gold membership work with Xbox One or will I have to buy a new one?
A:    You do not need to buy a new Xbox Live Gold membership. Your current membership will work on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Q:   Why require Kinect with every Xbox One?
A:    The all new Kinect is now an essential and integrated part of the platform.  By having it as a consistent part of every Xbox One, game and entertainment creators can build experiences that assume the availability of voice, gesture and natural sensing, leading to unrivaled ease of use, premium experiences and interactivity for you.

Q:    Do I need to have a specific cable or satellite TV provider to watch live TV on Xbox?
A:    Our goal is to enable live TV through Xbox One in every way that it is delivered throughout the world, whether that’s television service providers, over the air or over the Internet, or HDMI-in via a set top box (as is the case with many providers in the US). The delivery of TV is complex and we are working through the many technologies and policies around the world to make live TV available where Xbox One is available.

Q:    Xbox One is a more powerful product compared to Xbox 360, but does it also use more power?
A:    No. By providing multiple power states in Xbox One, we’ve balanced energy efficiency with functionality. We’ve taken a completely different approach to how Xbox One consumes power. It only uses the power it needs at that particular moment for the task at hand.

Here’s the link.

First I want to apologize for not posting as much lately.

Secondly, I need to ask you folks to say a prayer and/or with me luck. I’ve been unemployed now for 25 months. This has caused a GREAT strain on me. I find myself now in the position of possibly losing my home in two months.

I’ve already gone through unemployment, my 401K, savings, and tax refunds. I’m tapped. Over these last two year+ I’ve learned how to live with less. Now is the time that I may be forced to live without a home.

I’m in advertising by trade and have been a production artist, pre-press technician, graphic designer and art director. As a person in his mid 40s with 15+ years of experience, it’s become increasingly hard to find work. I’ve applied to well over 100 jobs over the course of my unemployment. I believe that I’m not able to find work so easily in part due to the economy. It’s a business’s job market now. They can afford to wait for the right candidate that won’t cost them so much. They can afford to take those with little to no experience and pay half as much as they would for me (someone who could start right out of the gate with practically no training needed).

During this time, I’ve applied TWICE for a position with 343 (yes, THAT 343). I was told by the recruiter the first time I applied that the position was down to me and one other. Now I don’t know if that was true or not and couldn’t get confirmation of this beyond the recruiter.

The second time I applied, it was through a different recruiter. Once again as the first time, I waited weeks which turned into months to hear back about the position, only to have the recruiter stop actively trying to fill the position.

I can’t fault 343 here. Though I do wonder what the heck is going on. I received an e-mail from Frank O’Conner himself. So he is fully aware of my blog. As well, BS Angel used to regularly post article from my blog, specifically the comic books I did of both Forward unto Dawn and Spartan Ops. Those have stopped now and the SpOps ones were not all posted. I found that strange.

Anyway, back to what’s going on with me. The stress level I have now (and I suffer already from anxiety and depression) is at an all time high. I KNOW that were I to find suitable work, that stress would likely be eradicated and I could get back on track with life and the blog.

I mentioned suitable work as I have a few slight disabilities that prevent me from taking just any old job to tide me over until I find a better one. The two most important here are Sleep Apnea and Spondylosis. The first disallowing me from being able to drive for long periods at a time since I can be prone to falling asleep without warning. The second is a condition I’ve had since before my military days that I had to get a waver for. This means I have a bad back and can’t stand for long periods of time, which in turn alienates me from MANY employment opportunities. So while I’d love to be able to take even a crappy job just to be able to pay the bills, with my medical issues, I’m not able to.

So where does this put me? Well, as I stated above, I’ve been out of work for 25 months, money has run dry, I’m limited in employment I’m able to perform and now run the risk of losing my home.

With all this, my attention has not been on the blog as much as it used to be. I hope and ask that you kind readers understand from the above why that is.

HFFL is paid for, for another 15 months, so I’m not worried about losing the site. That’s not the issue. It’s a matter of losing my home that is the biggest source of pain, angst, worry, stress, and anxiety that I face.

For the past 4 months, anything that I’ve posted regarding Halo toy review (with one or two exceptions) my wife has paid for. While I appreciate that, we can’t afford for her to do that any longer. I have been lucky enough that through my contacts with Mega Bloks and McFarlane to have received some free stuff, for which I promptly review here on HFFL. IN the mean time though, I am ashamed for having to ask my wife to pay for toys, especially when we’re in the financial state we’re in.

With all this said, why am I telling you readers?

Well, there may come a time in your life when you need to ask for support, be that in prayer, best wishes, money, work, etc. I’m at this crossroads. I dont’ expect anyone to give me money, and if they did, know that it would go toward my mortgage first as that is the TOP priority. I guess I just want you all to know WHY I haven’t been posting as much and again ask for your understanding and to stick with me/HFFL. While the posts may not be as frequent, I assure you that I’m not absent from the blog. I just have things that are supremely more important that I have to consider first before the blog.

I’m still here and will still be posting. You can bet that whenever things get back on track, I’ll be posting like I used to or even more.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thanks for being a reader of HFFL.

I applied for this a couple of weeks ago and was accepted. Sweet!

-Sal

As some of you know, I’ve applied, via a recruiting agency, for a job with 343. I’m extremely happy to say I got the position.

Details of the position are to remain under wraps for now until I’m allowed to reveal them. In the meantime, I’ve got some serious planning to do. Packing up stuff to move to Seattle (Kirkland), Washington, will be the biggest immediate thing of course. Also april fools day will be second. From there, if you got caught, just admit it. Wouldn’t this have been extremely cool though? Although this article was a joke, my desire to work for 343 isn’t.

Yes, it’s not Halo, but I couldn’t resist posting this.

So have a piece of pie today or whatever.

Pi is the number needed to compute the circumference of a circle…or Pi is the ratio of circumference to diameter of a circle or, a Halo ring….So THERE is the Halo reference!

-Sal

So I’ve had a miniscule forums here before, but I didn’t like the user interface for it, so I cannned it. However, it has recently came to light for me about another forum option.

So my question to you all (blog members, twitter followers, and Facebook friends/subscribers), would you participate in the forums? Would you post on occasion?

I’m looking to have more interaction with you folks and I think this is one way to do that.

There is one big caveat to this though. I’ve applied for a position with a well known development company in Washington state. Should I get that position, this wouldn’t happen. However, in the event that doesn’t happen, I want to not only keep the blog active, but have even more of a presence on the interwebs.

This is a very important decision for me, so I really need and value your opinions on this matter. Please either reply to this article, tweet, leave a response on Facebook, or e-mail me at sal@halofanforlife.com.

Thanks as always for being part of HFFL in whatever way you are and I look forward to what the future may reveal.

-Sal