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1. DSB
   Member

   They're made for retards. Thanks for listening.

   Not really, that's just a friendly joke. I'm giving consoles a second go at the moment, mostly because I wanted a media center, but it just amazes me the kind of shit that the people who design software for the consoles can get away with.

   It's like Origin, except it's even more retarded. And it can keep being retarded, because there's little to no competition that doesn't involve another 2-300 dollar buy-in.

   First I have the updates, which for unknown reasons involve three downloads and two restarts. Bundling? Naaaah, there's no competition out there that bundles their updates. If you want that, go to the PC. Oh, you came from the PC? In that case, welcome to hell.

   Then, when you have to type something in using the retard-pseudo-keyboard, which is truly slow, you'd think they'd add an auto-fill option to make it less laborious. No. There's no shadow of an auto-fill or anything remotely like it. You should surely have the pleasure of typing everything in, every time you need it. The beeps are specially engineered to soothe the soul.

   I assume this is because the average console is too underpowered to store my name in a .txt file.

   So basically, Xbox Live is at a lower technological level than the Nokia I had in 9th grade (which is... just too many years - read decades - ago)

   The worst though, is that I bought Shadows of the Damned online, because that's the smart way to get games - PC gamers have known this since 2003. I just let it sit there while it downloaded, but after a while I noticed that the console had shut down.

   "Huh" I think to myself "This surely must be some kind of feature to save power once my items are completely downloaded".

   BUT NO.

   My console decided to save power BEFORE the shit was downloaded. It shut down on me, which means it obviously expected me to keep checking that little fucking bar from time to time and move a stick to let it know I still cared. There's no thought that I might want to watch TV or do something else while it downloaded. No sir!

   And that means that my console is also at a more primitive technological level than my 386 Intel from IBM circa 1989, which eventually had Windows NT - That had a screensaver and everything! Johnny Castaway, it was called. A truly fascinating man. You'd think they'd be able to match that nowadays.

   But no. At the end of the day, consoles are just fucking retarded.

   Posted 10 months ago #

2. DSB
   Member

   Attention flame police:

   http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/retard

   "to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede"

   See? I'm actually using the word in a fully literal context!

   Posted 10 months ago #

3. silkvg247
   Member

   I agree, consoles piss me off.

   When I go play a game it takes longer to get through the myriad of updates and installing local content than a PC install takes ffs.. isn't the selling factor supposed to be sit and play? bah!

   Posted 10 months ago #

4. freedoms_stain
   Moderator

   If I remember correctly (and I might not) you can set the power save options on a shitbox to allow downloads to complete.

   PS3 actually has reasonably decent predictive text. I categorise my PS+ stuff and if I type the 1st letter of a particular category they pop up even if they're not particularly popular words for that letter. Even so I have a spare USB keyboard stowed beside my TV in case I ever have to type anything longer than 2 words.

   Posted 10 months ago #

5. DSB
   Member

   Kinda raises the question why that wouldn't be enabled by default. Why on earth would people want their consoles to shut down before they were done completing a task?

   I can't speak for the PS3, especially nowadays. When I did play with one around the time they came out, I just took one look at the interface and went "Why on earth...."

   You'd think they'd be ashamed enough of the one on the PS2 to actually do something about it.

   I'm guessing that's improved nowadays though.

   Posted 10 months ago #

6. Giskard
   Member

   I only have a console for the exclusives. If I can in get the game on the PC, be it 1 year hence, I'll wait. Because seriously, so much easier and more playable than a console.

   Posted 10 months ago #

7. DSB
   Member

   I just don't get why consoles are apparently years behind when it comes to design. I mean these days they even have the gall to charge for a subscription to what they dare to call a "service" (how am I being served, again?) but they apparently put 0 dollars and 0 cents into actually improving that service.

   Then again, I also don't see why any games would need to be locked down according to platform in the first place. Who does that serve? Really just the corporations making those damn boxes.

   At most, a fanboy gets the right to go "Ha-ha" when one of those exclusives actually turns out to be good. That has to be hugely gratifying.

   ... And certainly loads more than an open platform where everybody gets to play everything if they want.... Right?! RIGHT?!

   Then again EA might have something to say about that for the PC, on second thought.

   Posted 10 months ago #

8. freedoms_stain
   Moderator

   The one function that would vastly improve the experience of either interface is a button that takes you to the Games tab instantly from anywhere.

   Is the X (xbox) or Square (PS) ever used for anything in the interface? No? Bam, there's your Games hotkey.

   I think you've instantly got a flaw in your design if you have to navigate through a ton of menus to get to the core functionality of your product.

   I don't even have Steam running, but I right-click on the task bar icon and I can launch one of my last 10 played games right from there, and if what I want to play is not on there I can launch the program straight into my library.

   Posted 10 months ago #

9. ejams
   Member

   That's not a big deal though (for PS3 anyways). It's literally like an extra 10 seconds to shift over the XMB. You can also have it auto-start the game when you put it in if you don't even care about the menus or anything.

   To the issue at hand, I don't have too many gripes about consoles but I can only speak about Playstation because trying to make a valid complaint about xbox usually ends up in someone thinking I'm biased. Obviously, the insane amount of installs and the fact that they force you to watch them is a big issue, same goes for patches. It also takes longer to save and open menus on a PS3 when compared to Xbox. Other than that, I love basically everything else; the games, the online, PS+, and especially the CONTROLLER. That's right everybody, I love the PS3's controller. After using it, the 360's just feels like a mammoth that's grossly oversized and the sticks are horrendous (not to mention the D-pad).

   I first started video games with the PS1 which is a little late in the game, but from there out consoles have treated me with respect and they're something that can bring a lot of people together when you don't want to break out the LAN parties. I'll happily continue with consoles... until I have enough money to get a nice gaming rig :)

   Posted 10 months ago #

10. Phoenixblight
    Member

    THe new XBox 360 UI is built for the Kinect in mind it was fine before that patch but ever since that patch that changed the blade system its just totally horrible to navigate through.

    Posted 10 months ago #

11. polygem
    Member

    some of my favourite games are ds or n64 games...so i call this: tech whore crap.
    i have no problem with the current gen tech. not at all. complaining in the software department makes so much more sense imho. techwhoreism kinda kills innovation.
    i was reading somewhere else yesterday: someone was complaining about the lack of the ac adapter for the 3ds xl. he said: imagine a little boy who will get the 3ds xl for christmas without the adapter and then he wont be able to charge it. IMAGINE!!! poor boy! outrage! let´s start a petition, or an organisation against the abuse of gamers!
    that shows: spoiled "civilized" golden ass brats.

    Posted 10 months ago #

12. GwynbleiddiuM
    Member

    Frankly DSB, if You wanted a media center you should've gone to buy a PS3. With a 3rd party station app it would've streamed everything from your PC too. Xbox 360's dashboard is a slow worm, speed isn't a problem in PS3's dashboard or XMB. And the fact that it plays Bluray is a win in itself.

    And gaming-wise I also had much better experience on my PS3 than my 360. There are technical issues with PSN store sometimes but I can endure it.

    Posted 10 months ago #

13. Da Man
    Member

    Quote:

    "Xbox 360's dashboard is a slow worm, speed isn't a problem in PS3's dashboard or XMB."

    Really? Lmao!

    And don't even get me started on Posn vs Xbla.

    Posted 10 months ago #

14. Ireland Michael
    Moderator

    I honestly can't tell if this one giant troll post or not.

    Some things the layouts on the console interfaces do better, other things they do worse.

    Apples and oranges, and all that.

    Posted 10 months ago #

15. GwynbleiddiuM
    Member

    @Da Man, The amount of fucks I can give in contribution to console wars: http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/071/874/notasingle.jpg

    Posted 10 months ago #

16. DSB
    Member

    It's not a troll post, but it's not a serious post. It's just musing, really. And venting, because these are extremely fundamental design oversights, that are generally granted, and free, on mobile and open platforms.

    I have no interest in the console wars, but there's no way to stop people from going that way. I'm not a religious person, and I certainly don't waste that kind of deep emotion on a corporation and their products, but if people really feel a need to do that, then I guess they need that on some level.

    I do have an affinity for the 360 controller, and I even use it quite a bit with my PC. That's truly an apples and pears distinction. An interface should be functional. Both the PS3 and 360s gamepads are functional. Just like both of their interfaces are missing basic functionality, that you'd find practically everywhere else.

    @Gwyn I gotta say that XMB played a huge part in my picking an Xbox360 the second time around. I think it's an awful interface, which evolved from the equally awful PS2 interface. I honestly didn't expect them to still be using that.

    That, and my experience with third party titles on the PS3, is essentially why it's second on my list. I do want to play the exclusives and see what the hubbub is about, but not enough to sacrifice nearly everything else.

    Then again, I based that on a comparison with the 360's fan interface, which was really quite great. PB is spot on though, the new 360 interface is just as terrible. It's obviously meant to compensate for the lack of accuracy that you get with a Kinect, and as a result there are just a lot more hoops to jump through with a gamepad.

    Posted 10 months ago #

17. ManuOtaku
    Member

    To tell you the truth iam fine with both the ps3 and 360, i come from the atari and intellevision era, which didnt had any desing at all just play games like the nes, snes, ps1, n64, and truth be told i prefer the upcoming generations of consoles focus more on gaming rather than multi media things, i dont do pc gaming, and i dont mind if consoles lack in that regard,comparing to pc, i get them just for playing games nothing more, really.

    Posted 10 months ago #

18. Da Man
    Member

    I wanted to point out that you can set the auto turn off but got bored after OP's second violently tedious, alcohol induced mundane tl;dr rant 's first paragraph..

    So anyway.

    Posted 10 months ago #

19. DSB
    Member

    No need to be bored here Da Man. You can go somewhere else :)

    Posted 10 months ago #

20. Erthazus
    Member

    http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/6014-Xbox-360-and-PS3-Are-Just-Very-Crap-PCs

    I will just leave it here. DSB, you should see it.

    Posted 10 months ago #

21. DSB
    Member

    Jim Sterling is extremely weird.

    It's a compelling argument though. It's like silk says, aren't consoles supposed to be easy?

    Isn't that why people buy gadgets in the first place? To be convenienced?

    I'm not asking that consoles become PCs and start shipping with a keyboard, or even that they allow for mods. It's fair enough that they're their own creature.

    I just don't understand how they can be so arcane in their design. It's like they've never heard of smartphones, or looked at a PC. Just any kind of design advance over the last 10 years. Again, it's not that they should become either one of those things, but at least catch up and join the rest of us in the 21st century.

    Both Microsoft and Sony are engaged in the mobile markets as well. You'd think they'd come across these things somewhere.

    Posted 10 months ago #

22. Erthazus
    Member

    "I just don't understand how they can be so arcane in their design. "

    Well, they are 2005-2007 machines obviously. What can you expect? Their hardware ram is less then in android and iOS machines that have more than 400+ - 1024 ram memory.

    In Sony's case with 256 mb ram you can't even implement party chat feature that is on Xbox 360 for example so next gen will be interesting.

    Posted 10 months ago #

23. DSB
    Member

    That's really not an excuse for their design though. It's sad but true that a 14 year old phone and an almost 20 year old operating system (running on 6 megabyte of ram and 40 mhz processors) actually pull off a better functionality.

    They've both changed firmware lots of times. They just don't seem to care.

    Posted 10 months ago #

24. Ireland Michael
    Moderator

    @DSB To be honest, I think you're being nitpicky to the point that you could easily have a picture of yourself next to the word "nitpick" in the dictionary.

    Phones have those sort of things because phones are a communication device first and forefront. Why would you want predictive texting on an Xbox (PS3 *does* somewhat have this). Just how often are you really going to be typing messages on these machines for it to actually matter? You're not. If you're playing with friends, you're probably going to be in a party chat, with a headset, anyway.

    The updating system? Simple and to the point. I don't really see the issue. Three downloads? What?

    It really isn't much different to PC. You sit and wait for the patch to download in install. In Steam you can do something else while you wait, but you still have to wait for it to be done before you can play the game.

    Posted 10 months ago #

25. DSB
    Member

    I think you're asking way too little of your devices Michael.

    For better or worse, the mobile wars have been won by the company with the best interface. Everything else is open to contest, but the style and the interface has won the day.

    I know it's a horse I love to flog, but design matters. Why do I buy a Samsung over a Sony TV? Because I know a Samsung TV is good quality, but first and foremost because I know it's so easy to handle I'll only have to press one or two buttons once it comes out of the box, to have it set up and working flawlessly.

    I think you're batshit if you try to deny the difference between the level of design in an application like Steam, and the one on a console.

    I've not ever had my computer shut down on its own while it was actively engaged in a task.

    Whether I can set it on my own is fairly irrelevant, I would never have dreamed that I'd actually have to do that in 2012.

    I've not ever had my computer restart after downloading an update for a game. Even if certain forms of DRM certainly get close to that level of inconvenience.

    Is good design neccessary? No. Does it ruin my life that it's crap? No. But I want it, I'll pay for it, and that ultimately gives an advantage to the designer who caters to it, which I think is also very clear from the market today.

    Design matters.

    Ten times more so on a console, where you're often paying for a service, that in this case can't measure up to the kind of service you'd get on another device, often absolutely free.

    Posted 10 months ago #

26. DrDamn
    Member

    @DSB
    As mentioned above the PS3 handles predictive text as well as remembering specific words in specific situations too. So it's as good as your 14 year old phone. :). You can even switch to a numeric phone like input if you want that Nokia feeling back too.

    Posted 10 months ago #

27. DSB
    Member

    Thanks DrDamn. Like I said I can only go on what I have, but it's nice to know that some of those designers are at least using their heads a bit :P

    Maybe I'll switch over next gen. I'm just not a Metro kind of guy.

    Posted 10 months ago #

28. DrDamn
    Member

    @DSB
    "I've not ever had my computer restart after downloading an update for a game."

    There are subtle differences here though. In order to get an update for a game on the 360 you need to try and start the game. In that respect downloading and if necessary restarting is logical. I'd want it to do that - it's not like I need to close down other apps or processes before it restarts is it?

    Posted 10 months ago #

29. DrDamn
    Member

    @DSB
    Patching and downloads are archaic on PS3 mind :). Though you can get games to auto-update if you have PS+. Game patching on 360 is actually very clever and unobtrusive. They have a ridiculously low limit on the size of patches < 10MB I think.

    Posted 10 months ago #

30. DSB
    Member

    I guess that's fair. But why would that ever be necessary?

    Is the OS so crap it needs an update every time a game gets put out? If that's the case, you're still dealing with a pretty shortsighted type of engineering.

    And why on earth wouldn't you be able to bundle those updates? Why would it be neccessary to restart, only to download again, and restart again?

    Two different patches with two different installs just makes me think someone's being lazy. I'm not currently signed up for XBL, but if I was, I'd feel like they were taking my money and doing nothing with it.

    I mean, ironically, the only other place I've encoutered something that bothersome is with Games for Windows Live that often does the same thing on the PC. It doesn't restart the system, but it restarts the game.

    Updates aren't always bundled on Steam, but they're clearly encouraged. If I download a game from scratch, I will always have a ready version, that is fully patched.

    That obviously wasn't the case for Shadows of the Damned on the 360 yesterday.

    It's all first world problems, but at least for me it impacts my view of the system, and subsequently my buying decisions going forward.

    Posted 10 months ago #

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