realph

With just under 36 days until Xbox One hits, I had a questions that seem to be unanswered no matter how much I search online. I wondered if the Giant Bomb community could help me shed come light on these burning questions I had:

1. TV: Are the TV features they revealed at the original Xbox One reveal a lock for day one? I mean, are they partnering with all the cable companies or just a few? Will those different boxes support all the TV guide features, fantasy football etc. What about other areas in the world? I'm from the UK, where Sky is dominant. Will I be able to plug in my Virgin TiVo box and watch football and enjoy the perks of stats and scores for example?
2. Entertainment: Will the usual suspects have apps ready for launch? You'd assume Microsoft are working with the likes of YouTube, Netflix, HBO GO and ESPN to have apps ready to go on launch day.
3. Digital Games: Since the 180, Microsoft have been pretty quiet on this front. I think it's been confirmed that games will launch day and date alongside retail, but what about price? Pre-loading? Downloading through the web-app and coming home to a finished download. I'm planning to go down this rabbit hole and wouldn't mind a little more info on the perks of a digital locker.
4. HDMI Pass-Through: I'm pretty sure Major Nelson confirmed you could plug an Xbox 360 into an Xbox One. What does that even mean, and is that a workaround for backwards compatibility. Can I play Xbox 360 games with the Xbox One overlays or doesn't it work like that. Again, I'd like a little more clarification on the HDMI-In.

Maybe these have been answered elsewhere, but I can't seem to find them. Any help with these or sources where these questions are answered, I'd be eternally grateful.

Thanks!

I expressed similar thoughts on Twitter earlier this morning.

I loved the finale, it ended just how I wanted it to. I will say though, that finale could have done with an extra half an hour. It's not necessarily what they could have added, I would have just preferred a slower ride to the end credits. The roller coaster that was the last two episodes needed more winding down time IMO, speaking specifically about the some of the scene's that tied back into Season 5's flash forwards (the diner, his old home).

Regardless of my issues regarding length, it has to go down by far as the greatest television show of all time!

@leebmx I'm actually going down to BOXPARK on Monday night also. I've been to quite a few game and console launches, and for the most part they're fucking awesome.

I must say though, from what I can tell, Rockstar aren't supporting these launches in any sort of official capacity. Because of this, the launch might be no more than queuing up, getting the game and going home on the bus.

No problem with that as I suppose that's what you're there for, but I do love the odd giveaway and the spectacle of a launch event when publishers and stores team up and do crazy shit between waiting in line and the game going on sale.

I agree with the OP, I just loved how they sidestepped the whole creepy house and familiar tropes to tell a love story.

I know 2007 set a pretty high bar, but what do you think? Q4 is still around the corner, and let's assume for a second that The Wolf Among Us, GTA V, Beyond, Rain, Puppeteer are at least-half decent, not mentioning the hidden gems that might pop up before we close out the year.

Looking good, video games.

Note: By no means am I comparing these title side by side, it just felt easier to lay them out... side by side.

P.S. Can a mod do an embed on that Youtube link, I'm on my phone currently.

Seriously, watch this and tell me Phil Fish doesn't deserve half the shit he gets.

http://youtu.be/A7RVH0M4fPI

I felt so bad for that dude, getting up there and saying he's proud as a Japanese developer to see glimpses of old Japanese games in the likes of Fez, Braid and SMB and then getting ridiculed like that at that panel.

Felt super elitist up there, almost bully-like behaviour.

"Back then you were king of the world but your time has passed".

And fuck Edmund for laughing like that!

@the_laughing_man: Fair enough. Those two games do have a good track record of getting you into games super quick.

“While Xbox Live is matchmaking, you’re untethered and free to do what you want, like watch TV or check out your favorite website or apps while waiting for your next game. If you’re playing digital games, you can even play one game while Smart Match prepares a second. This freedom to break out of waiting in lobbies and do whatever you want is what separates Xbox One from systems that don’t have a way to instantly switch between tasks.”

And this is why I'm going digital on day one. I guess a lot of these features would have been available to all before they changed their policies. Glad to hear a lot of them seem to be left in tact for those who plan to go down the digital route. Being able to play another game whilst Halo takes its sweet time matchmaking is dream come true.

Just out of interest, will features like this make you think twice about buying physical games? What else would you like Microsoft to do with digital to incentivise customers to make the switch?