Major Nelson addresses XBLM's drought
by Ross Miller 
{ Jun 28th 2006 at 4:25PM }
Sounds like the Major is under heavy fire from the community's inquiries. Xbox Live's Larry Hyrb, a.k.a. Major Nelson, wants to help "manage your expectations" on when certain Arcade titles (Street Fighter II) or game demos (Prey) will be released on Xbox Live Marketplace, especially in light of recent maintenance shutdowns. The Major relays that the certification process can be labyrinthine, and generally those that promise certain dates are not aware of its complexity.Major Nelson promises to post information on the Prey demo as quickly as possible, but noting that he has "a lot more work to do ... this blog just happens to be the most high profile part of what I do." No news on the official Street Fighter II, but make no mistake -- Major Nelson is sick and tired of us asking, and we might be giving him ulcers. I think the Major's going quite insane, he goes along the pavement and comes back again like he is on parade, and he is on parade ...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tucker @ Jun 28th 2006 4:39PM
No Prey and no Street Fighter make Major Nelson something something...
Go crazy?
Don't mind if I do!
Bobill @ Jun 28th 2006 4:48PM
I want my f---ing Prey demo! You hear that...I've been checking everyday and it's been more than a few days. It's bad enough how bad things were when GRAW Chap 2 came out with XBLM.
Franky Digital @ Jun 28th 2006 4:51PM
Sounds like Major Nelson wanted the popularity of being the "personal" face of Microsoft's LIVE team, but now can't take the heat for their shitty service.
The only thing worse than the dev work on X-Box Live is the dev work on WOW. And don't even get me started on the customer service. Of either.
Mooks @ Jun 28th 2006 4:52PM
I don't care much about the Prey demo. No dates were promised, so no dates were broken. What MS should do is shut the hell up about how great Live Arcade will be until they have stuff to back it up with. I've heard on several interviews that they will release 2 Xbox Live games a month (it might have been 4) starting in the spring. Uno was the last game released and that was how long ago? Xbox Live is a wonderful tool, and I'd be willing to give them my money, if they gave me something to spend it on!!
Alkaiser @ Jun 28th 2006 4:54PM
That was a pretty lengthy article to say, "Please don't run away from the Xbox Live Arcade when Nintendo and Sony offer 1000s of times more content than we are!"
I don't care how complex or hard it is to bring content onto the Xbox Marketplace. Who's fault is that, Microsoft's or mine? I don't hear Nintendo or Sony telling me to manage my expectations when it comes to the number of titles they'll be offering online, so why exactly should I support your convoluted system that hasn't produced anything in terms of actual game content for a month?
nod @ Jun 28th 2006 4:55PM
Didn't I hear on one of his podcasts that they were going to fix the slow-ass download speed in that big update? I tried to dl a demo twice now and it was going to be 30mins+ for a 400mb demo. Ya, that's shitty service.
Dawg605 @ Jun 28th 2006 5:09PM
Yeah, nice certification.
Anyone remember the King Kong demo, the Kameo tips videos, and others? All didn't work when they were released, and they were very obvious glitches that made them unplayable/unwatchable. The King Kong demo has still not reappeared on Marketplace. Nice job Microsoft!
Dirk Dorkelson @ Jun 28th 2006 5:11PM
"I don't hear Nintendo or Sony telling me to manage my expectations when it comes to the number of titles they'll be offering online, so why exactly should I support your convoluted system that hasn't produced anything in terms of actual game content for a month?"
Come on. Xbox Live is still the best online service for a console b/c the other consoles don't have anything (not counting PS2's leave-it-to-the-developers tactic). Also, didn't actual game content come out for GRAW this week? And wasn't Mehrune's (sp?) Razor out for Oblivion last week or the week before? And didn't M/soft just release a totally awesome (and free) upgrade of their OS?
And what's convoluted about Marketplace? I find the post-update Marketplace interface to be pretty easy to use. If you have the technological sophistication to post to Weblogs Inc., it's somewhat surprising that you can't handle Xbox Live Marketplace.
Don't get me wrong, I'd like some more XBLA games as much as the next guy, but it's not like most consoles don't suffer a drought of stuff in the first year or so of release. I remember selling my SNES back in the day because there just weren't games I wanted to play after a while. Of course, I regretted that decision. As for the Prey demo, it'll drop when it drops. It's free. They don't owe us anything.
MarxMarvelous37 @ Jun 28th 2006 5:12PM
"I don't hear Nintendo or Sony telling me to manage my expectations when it comes to the number of titles they'll be offering online, so why exactly should I support your convoluted system that hasn't produced anything in terms of actual game content for a month?"
Well, it is easy not to have to tell you that when you haven't even launched a comparable service...
Taylor G. @ Jun 28th 2006 5:12PM
Yay for Belle & Sebastian.
spoo @ Jun 28th 2006 5:16PM
@Mooks "No dates were promised, so no dates were broken"
http://www.3drealms.com/news/2006/05/june_22nd_is_prey_day.html
Yes the demo was set to be released on 6/22.
Also this is not the first time MS has been late on a demo when a date was given.
MS needs to get their shit in gear. No one knows why there is a holdup and is still being "tested".
Dirk Dorkelson @ Jun 28th 2006 5:21PM
"Yes the demo was set to be released on 6/22. Also this is not the first time MS has been late on a demo when a date was given."
Hey, did you read the post? The whole point is that developers occasionally say they'll have the demo available on Xbox Live, but that the developers don't fully understand what it takes to get content up on Marketplace. So the developers make promises that are false. What, exactly, does linking to a statement by a developer add to the discussion about a blog post telling readers that the developers basically don't know what they're talking about?
Bloo @ Jun 28th 2006 5:27PM
"That was a pretty lengthy article to say, "Please don't run away from the Xbox Live Arcade when Nintendo and Sony offer 1000s of times more content than we are!""
9 stars and you come up with pathetic fanboy speculation like this and I get a negative for making a funny joke. Go figure.
Pancakeshouse @ Jun 28th 2006 5:30PM
Microsoft has to remember that people are still buying Xbox360s, and if I were one of those people that bought a 360 say a month ago, and the only new content I have seen is a couple Themes and Trailers, I defiantly wouldn't be impressed with the Marketplace or the Microsoft's claims. Having had a 360 since November '05, I know that there was a time when content was released on a regular basis, and it was cool content too. With this terrible drought that is upon us as far as Marketplace goes, it really is going to turn off a lot of people from what Xbox Live can really offer. I know summer is usually a slow month for gaming, but Microsoft should be using this time to show demos and trailers of cool games coming out this fall and holiday season. I bought Fight Night Round 3 because of the pre-released demo, and I'm sure I would do the same for a lot of other games I wouldn't have cared for otherwise.
Point being, this enormous lack of new content is really getting worse and worse by the day. Gamers are becoming disappointed, and telling them not to be disappointed will not do anything. If Microsoft follows the same requirements for downloadable content as they do for retail content, then they should be able to give a release date for when a new arcade game or demo will be out. Consumers have become accustomed to release dates, and if not having them is alienating your customers, then you damned well better do something about it other then tell them to forget about it.
RazorElite @ Jun 28th 2006 5:33PM
I don't really know what it takes to certify a release for XBLM. But really, why should it take more than a day, 2 at most?! Here you have a multi billion dollar company and a multi million dollar online service alone (which you must pay a fee for) and you're telling me it takes them that long to 'test' a little small arcade game or demo. Didn't the developers already do some testing of their own? What more is there to do.
Don't get me wrong. I have a 360 and to me it's the greatest console ever. And currently there is nothing comparable to Xbox Live and I'm quite fine paying the gold memebrship fee. However, I really think MS needs to do something about their certification process instead of keeping gamers patiently waiting for days and days. The Prey demo's been out on PC for nearly a week now. Pretty sure it works fine. Why isn't it on XBLM yet?
And don't think Sony's service will be any better. Actually, I am pretty sure it'll be considerably worse. For one, it's free. Plus, it's a Sony....come on!
kilodelta @ Jun 28th 2006 5:35PM
i love how people get so bent out of shape over FREE CONTENT.
Zacky V @ Jun 28th 2006 5:38PM
Theres like a damn war going on at Major Nelson's blog
Alkaiser @ Jun 28th 2006 5:39PM
Dorkelson:
Wow. Fantastic. The only content out for two weeks is for specific games only. I was referring to actual XBLA games. I don't care that I can pay for a bunch of PGR3 cars, and neither do most people, I imagine. People who are complaining about Street Fighter II not being out aren't going to be satiated with a new map for PD0 or new GRAW skins. They want NEW games. New standalone content. If Microsoft is having trouble delivering that, (and it looks like it is consdering the absolute dearth of things to pick up XBLA right now.) that's a big problem, and it's a problem that Nintendo and Sony don't look like they're going to have.
If they both deliver like, 1% of what they're promising at launch, that's still several times greater than what Microsoft's currently offering.
Also, I'm not talking about the convolution of USING the Marketplace. I was talking about Major Nelson saying this:
"Because getting a game through the certification process is very complex, and often those promising the content by a certain date are not fully aware of all the pieces involved in bringing content to the Marketplace.."
Frank Stipes @ Jun 28th 2006 5:46PM
Major Nelson provides a textbook example of how NOT to do a Podcast. He is a whiny, condescending presence who -- when not holding his audience in contempt -- is forever scolding them ("managing your expectations" a case in point). It's ironic how the whole point of his job -- and I know, he has SO much more to do than simply blog and podcast -- is to attract and interact with XBoxers and he just can't help but scare them away. Memo to senior Xbox management: Get someone who actually LIKES people.
p.s. -- is it me, or is this guy way more a Dr. Bellows than a Major Nelson?
Zacky V @ Jun 28th 2006 5:50PM
If they both deliver like, 1% of what they're promising at launch, that's still several times greater than what Microsoft's currently offering.
lol your joking right, your saying two companies that are relatively new to having an online service is going to beat MS?
aka Bitter @ Jun 28th 2006 5:51PM
Your choice:
- Regularly scheduled releases that are buggy(the PS2 demo that erased your memory card, the broken Darkwatch and Hulk demos for Xbox 1)
- Delayed releases that, for most part, work for everyone.
Personally I'd rather wait a bit and get something that doesn't suck, but that's me...
Bitter
BovineDeath @ Jun 28th 2006 5:52PM
Perhaps Xbox.com should simply have a list of upcomming games, and their status (eg MS Certification, sent back to dev, etc). They really need a lot more demos though...
spoo @ Jun 28th 2006 5:54PM
@Dirk Dorkelson
*sigh* Yes I did read the linked post of Major Nelson's blog. Did you read the post I was directing my post at? If you did you would see that I was correcting a poster with a link.
Back on topic: Major Nelson is blaming dates on the developers and the developers are going WTF?
http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showpost.php?p=334226&postcount=265
This is from the president of 3D Realms.
"I wish I had some news for you, but I do not. But, at least I can post that I have no news, and let you know that we're trying to keep you informed.
Nobody is telling us anything. If someone from Microsoft wants to contact me, feel free.
At this point you know what I know. I have no idea what the specifics are, in regard to the demo, and I have no estimate for a release. The 2K producers on the project don't seem to be interested in keeping us (or Human Head) in the loop, or emailing us details."
MS is saying that the developers are pulling dates out of their asses but yet MS isn't talking or telling the developers a time frame.
I am not a "MS hater" I love my 360 but where are the new Live demos and new arcade games. MS seemed to have all of the E3 demos ready in a short amount of time why the hold up for Prey?
Major Nelson just gave one hell of a brush of to his fans. He wants the fame when everything on Live is going great but he doesn't want to take the heat when everything is not so good.
Ninegauger @ Jun 28th 2006 6:04PM
Technically all this Demo stuff is available to silver members so aside from my $100 Wi-Fi adapter it's all free... the Demos at least. But is it really unreasonable for a developer to assume that it would take at most a few days to upload a file to Xbox Live. It's not like they have a thousand Demos that need testing... they have one.
I don't know why anyone would be looking forward to Street Fighter II, the Xbox has probably the worst controller for that game... you could get a joystick but I'd definitely hold out for a controller like the Six Button Genesis one... that and Street Fighter II hasn't aged all that well.
Nathan @ Jun 28th 2006 6:19PM
MS is also sitting on a pile of Themes and Gamer Pictures submetted by publishers/developers a looong time ago. They could at least release those every now and then so they are at least updating what's available.
And to alleviate server congestion I say the give Gold member priority in the qeue of free content over Silver members who aren't paying for the service. Or just make it available to Gold members a week earlier or something. I'm sure I'll get flamed for this but Gold members are paying, they should et perks. Might even boost Live's subscribers a bit.
Eggfou @ Jun 28th 2006 6:20PM
Go listen to Major Nelson's last podcast. He has the guy on who oversees the Live Arcade Portfolio. He makes some good points about why stuff is sometimes slow. Also, makes the point that Capcom is developing Street Fighter and not Microsoft. They also mention the delayed Texas Hold 'em. Sounds like some good stuff is coming. Go listen, and while you wait on the Prey demo, try the Rumble Roses one ;P
bill baker @ Jun 28th 2006 6:39PM
I seem to recall that just a little more than 30 days ago, MS loaded up the marketplace with a metric assload of new content of all shapes and sizes. Hell, I'm still playing the shit out of the Lost Planet demo, not to mention the Test Drive tryout and I grabbed the GRAW Chapter 2 last week as well.
XBLM has met my expectations 99% of the time, and I'd rather have delayed software than buggy crap. If I'm paying for something, part of my money goes into assuring that the quality is up to par, and I'll be damnd if I'll ever support shoving something out the door before it's done cooking just to satisfy the mouth-breathers on the internet
People need to remember that opinions are like cowboy hats and hemmoroids, in that they're really popular for assholes to have but sort of silly to share.
(this goes for mine as well, cheers!)
Ian @ Jun 28th 2006 6:42PM
It looks like the summer drought effects doesn't just effect in-store retail games.
bill @ Jun 28th 2006 7:18PM
I have to wonder if Ms costcutting plays any part of this.
You see MS even though super rich seems to have adopted this nonsensical strategy of acting poor with regard to Xbox360. You can read about much of it in Takahashi's book.
So basically I'm wondering if they didn't slash personnel (as a costcutting move) in these areas such as XBLA and THAT is why things are taking so damn long!
I could be wrong that may have nothing to do with it. It's difficult to prove or disprove, just something I suspect.
bill @ Jun 28th 2006 7:24PM
>>5. That was a pretty lengthy article to say, "Please don't run away from the Xbox Live Arcade when Nintendo and Sony offer 1000s of times more content than we are!"
I don't care how complex or hard it is to bring content onto the Xbox Marketplace. Who's fault is that, Microsoft's or mine? I don't hear Nintendo or Sony telling me to manage my expectations when it comes to the number of titles they'll be offering online, so why exactly should I support your convoluted system that hasn't produced anything in terms of actual game content for a month?>>
Oh yeah except, those services dont even exist yet. Hell, you argue Sony delaying PS3 forever is a delay bigger than anything MS has done by far. It's one thing to delay some cheesy demos like MS, quite another to delay your WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM AND ALL THE ONLINE CONTENT THAT GOES WITH IT like Sony did.
I'm just saying, when/if Sony Nintendo deliver on those "thousands of games" you might have a point. Until then it's meaningless speculation on your part.
And the prey demo isn't even made by microsoft maroon. It's obnoxious how all these people blame MS for stuff they have nothing to do with. How about you shut up.
Beyond that, I do agree MS needs to get some content out. The sad thing is right now is the worst game drought in 360 history, so this would have been the perfect time for XBLA to fill in those slow summer month gaps and keep us busy with stuff like SF2 while we wait for the bigger late summer/fall titles. Sadly I see that time already passing. It looks like by the time XBLive gets it's content in gear, the worst of the drought will be over anyway.
Gombard @ Jun 28th 2006 7:48PM
I'm thinking that we got used to the loads of content coming out during E3, but there's been a dry spell of late of fresh content.. Feast or famine at the moment..
bill baker @ Jun 28th 2006 7:57PM
Not to be a double-poster, but what is the deal with people comparing currently existing systems with speculated and projected systems anyway? Does anyone really know how decent of a job Sony's going to do regarding their online services?
Ask anyone currently utilizing a Sony product with online capabilities if they feel like their needs are being met by Sony. Everquest, SWG, PSP and PS2 Hard Drive owners may have some interesting comments. Same goes for those people lined up to buy the BD players that Sony hasn't managed to ship on time twice now, so let that speak something towards Sony's ability to deliver within a promised time-frame.
Nintendo may have a stacked deck, since their virtual console is a license to print money, but I'll wait until I see NEW CONTENT before I declare any winners or losers in who manages their online services the best.
I mean, flying cars are going to kick a lot of ass, but what I can get right at this very moment is all that should matter in a blind taste test.
James Sorensen @ Jun 28th 2006 8:06PM
he shouldn;t act like he is a teh know everything of xbox live then since he apparently isn't
Razor @ Jun 28th 2006 8:07PM
Major Nelson is more vocal and in contact with the community than any exec on any other platform. I personally enjoy his podcasts and I think he is just a real down to earth person who isn't a professional broadcast personality so sometimes he might come across as uncaring or "I'm better than you". But this is not intentional.. He really didn't even have to try and make an excuse, or comment on his blog but he chose too and I respect that. That doesn't sound like a person who "can't take the heat" according to some posts here. People love the marketplace and are passionate about it and 360 owners want it to be the best it can possibly be and in turn are very vocal about their likes and dislikes. We just had A TON of content released during E3 which was just a month ago and since then we've had some video's put up, new Oblivion, GRAW, PGR content and demo's (RRXX). That does not sound like a dead marketplace and that's not even including pics and themes. Seems like people need to just chill and enjoy what they have instead of being content whores..
Franky Digital @ Jun 28th 2006 8:45PM
Razor = Major Nelson?
We have every right to be demanding: we pay monthly for service and content. So thanks for your opinion, but don't tell people who have more than a right to be displeased with service that they pay for which turns out to be subpar.
The reality of the situation is just that Microsoft is being very lazy right now, because they have no competition on this level right now. Once Nintendo comes out with their Wii and the Virtual Console, expect to either see the service get stronger, or pale in comparison.
OmenChild @ Jun 28th 2006 9:28PM
Razor...Are you Major Nelson? That sounded like something only he could say... hmmm
Sorry for the whining about marketplace but its no secret that it's been SUCKING after the E3 content was posted. Microsoft got me good with the GRAW download. Definitely not worth 15 bucks.
OmenChild @ Jun 28th 2006 9:32PM
Oh and if you are MN please dont leave me negative feedback dude. This IS my gamertag :)
Scott @ Jun 28th 2006 9:59PM
#3 and everyone else hammering Major Nelson...the reason MN got so snippy is because people were flooding the comments of his posts with "Where's this game!?" or "Where's this demo!?" or "Microsoft sucks!". His reaction is no different from any other blog where people flood blog posts with completely unrelated comments.
Greg @ Jun 28th 2006 10:02PM
Considering that i GOT my 360 in april, it does look like a potential system....but this drought is rediculous. I go into blockbuster and they only have like 12 games and they ALL are rented out...I like 360 hardware i honestly must say that i do. And sony and nintendongs can suck nuts because they didnt even know what downloaded content was until Live came out....so cut it out kids!
Xbox hasnt copied anything from anyone....and that being said they're doing pretty well....its just with no software its discouraging......i find myself playing spades and geo wars more than i do disc games....And shouldnt announce XBarcade games they should just come out because that only leads to disappointment for everyone...SF prime example......but i saw the list of upcoming titles at Gamestop an then my spirits were lifting.......and no im not talking bout halo....im the only non-halo fan.......so there's your ammo fanboys...
Franky Digital @ Jun 28th 2006 10:12PM
His reaction is no different from any other blog where people flood blog posts with completely unrelated comments.
com·ment ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kmnt)
n.
A written note intended as an explanation, illustration, or criticism
strictnein @ Jun 28th 2006 10:55PM
Yay! GRAW add-on with 1/10th the content of a new game for 1/4th the price.
What a steal.
Live is currently a joke. And for those out there saying that I shouldn't be bitching about "free" content... I am paying for it via my gold account.
The best part of the 360 has quickly become the most disappointing. We get picture packs and commercials for movies and we're supposed to be happy about it.
OmenChild @ Jun 28th 2006 11:09PM
Yeah like you posted Mr. Franky Digital:
com·ment ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kmnt)
n.
A written note intended as an explanation, illustration, or critism.
Well my critism is that Live Marketplace is turning in a huge compost heap of gamerpics, themes and overpriced BS content. Nothing else. If they dont improve upon it and FAST its gonna be too easy for Nintendo to come in and oh hold on wait.. They CANT compete in any way with Virtual Console. Nintendo's back catalog alone would destroy our beloved Live Arcade not to mention the deals they have with Sega and the TurboGraphx people. Im an Xbox fan but Im also a realist. I dont really know what Sony has in mind but it wouldnt be too hard to launch their version of Arcade with 20 budget titles from launch. The actual multiplayer, is going to be tough to match. I give Microsoft that much. Microsoft should be afraid of what's coming though. It seems like once a week they have this competition with Sony to see who can piss off more fanboys LOL. If they could push so much E3 content through in 2-3 days, why not one demo? Im not even worried about the freaking demo. Its the lack of information about everything. Whats going on with SF2? Give us a realistic launch date. We dont ask for much as gamers do we? Hey if something isnt coming out as promised, keep us posted. Sure some of us will still whine but most of us will understand because we would have SOME information. BTW Thanx for the maps,play modes and weapons for GRAW Ubisoft! What really tickled my fancy was those four new faces. Maybe you could have sold those separately at 100 Microsoft Points each. Keep that in mind next time you decide to rip off your loyal fanbase. Tell me in Double Agent I'll have to pay up extra to play as Sam Fisher the terrorist and I'll sell my 360.
OmenChild @ Jun 29th 2006 1:02AM
Found this on Major Nelson's blog. It's pretty funny.
http://img193.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fuckmicrosoft6wf.jpg
Max Howell @ Jun 29th 2006 5:43AM
We'd all feel less "let down" about the Prey demo not shipping on time if MS or someone would just let us know why we're waiting with baited breath.
My work-mate who has an awesome PC has played the demo and lets me know how great it is every morning. Which means I'm getting to near-unbearable levels of hype here!
Glad Chromehounds demo came out totally unexpectedly though, that'll be fun tonight.
Joeee @ Jun 29th 2006 9:50AM
"16. i love how people get so bent out of shape over FREE CONTENT."
It's nto free. We're all paying close to $60 for Gold.
And for what? Nothing, apparently. They better show us why this $60 is worth it when the PS3 and Wii arrives and they are free.
SupaDave @ Jun 29th 2006 10:11AM
You all have to remember that the only people who even know the expected release dates of demos are the hardcore fanboys.
The majority of the population (even with the 360) just log on click around and see something they want to download. Most gamers aren't holding their breath for this content and/or waiting for specific dates.
It's funny how some of these posts people complain about the first content being buggy and the other half is complaining about the content being to slow to launch. You can't have it both ways. I would rather have Microsoft perform their due diligence and release the best possible product (even for only a demo).
Why is everyone so up in arms over a demo anyways? It would be in the best interest of Microsoft to get demos out in a timely manner. At the end of the day it's free content and provides additional value. It's not the sole purpose of the 360 or XBL.
Patience is a virtue.
Scott @ Jun 29th 2006 10:14AM
#37 - Franky,
Yippee. You can copy & paste from Dictionary.com. Color me impressed.
That still doesn't address the fact that it is considered bad form to flood a post with comments completely unrelated to the blog post. Just look at the comments in Major's "How to get a Halo 2 headset...cheap" post. This is what happens in almost every one of Major's posts. I can see why he'd be tired of it.
Franky Digital @ Jun 29th 2006 11:06AM
"That still doesn't address the fact that it is considered bad form to flood a post with comments completely unrelated to the blog post. Just look at the comments in Major's "How to get a Halo 2 headset...cheap" post. This is what happens in almost every one of Major's posts. I can see why he'd be tired of it."
If he didn't want comments on his site, he shouldn't have enabled them. Comments are meant for feedback and criticism, in order to make the voices of the consumer heard. When Major decided to become the face of the Xbox Live team, he should have known that he would become the target for complaints. Though he's only one man doing one job, his chosen personality of team blogger now makes him a representative of the service that we are paying for, and thus posters have every right to raise any criticism they want. Welcome to captialism. Maybe you should re-read the definition, since you apparently missed the point.
Raskawa @ Jun 29th 2006 11:40AM
Okay, I read like the first 30 posts then just got frustrated. You guys are morons or just new to gaming. XBL is the best online related service/platform for gaming right now, period. It is the best that has been put out so far, period.
Sony/Nintendo will not do a better service job by any significant magnitude. If you have a technical job or half a clue you would know that managing a technical service of that magnitude is going to have problems. Especially when dealing with legal issues, technical issues, a large support and development staff.
It is just ridiculous to troll/flame MS for XBL or Major Nelson for that matter.
In general, MS has done a kickass job with the 360 and XBL - they set a standard for the other two to imitate which will help gaming overall - be thankful for that and stop being whiney beetches.
Major Nelson has a good podcast - it is highly rated and okay to listen to. I agree with one of the previous posters, he can sound whiney sometimes, but in general it sounds like he maybe a good guy and just wants to get some information out about internal MS information we would not have access to otherwise.
-Rask
Mal F4cti0n @ Jun 29th 2006 11:59AM
I love seeing people bitching about MS charging $15 for GRAW content.
Ummm, I think the developer sets the price, so that is UBISOFT, not MICROSOFT. Anyway, if you think it is too expensive, then don't buy it. Pretty simple to figure out.
It would be nice if they told us when the demo will be out. That Lost Planet demo was a nice treat, especially for a game that is pretty far from complete.
Anyway, the way things are moving along, we will probably be able to buy Prey before we can play the free demo, and that IS a problem.
And WHAT!?!? There is a Chromehounds demo up? Oh man, XBL kicks ASS!!!