Gaming gaffes
THE videogame industry is not exempt from blunders. All three major console manufacturers made a few boo-boos as they introduced their much-awaited gaming consoles.
Microsoft unveiled its Xbox One gaming console on May 21 as an all-in-one media hub with the ability to control the device with just your voice.
In a move to go fully digital, the company announced that all game purchases would be tied to the Xbox Live account and, in theory, this would allow users to access the games from the Cloud and share them with up to 10 family members.
The only catch to this otherwise cool system is that the Xbox One must be connected to the Internet at least once every 24 hours. Failing to do so will render the games unplayable until the console is connected to the Net once again.
Gamers were not happy with this move and within weeks Microsoft reversed its decision and did away with the mandatory Internet connection and the console only has to be connected online once when it is initially being setup.
However, this has put the game sharing feature in limbo although Microsoft says it might make a return.
With this announcement came two other good news — the company did away with its complicated policy for reselling used games and it also abolished region locking. This means you can buy a game from any country for the Xbox One.
Streaming surprise
One of the groundbreaking features of the next-gen consoles is the ability to share and stream gameplay moments with a simple press of a button.
For example, you can share your awesome kills in Killzone or the fastest lap time in Drive Club with friends but Sony took this a step further with its Playroom which is an augmented reality game that allowed users to feature virtual items in their videos.
But Sony was in for a shock, as some gamers had posted objectionable videos of themselves using the PlayStation Camera. The straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back was a video of a naked lady passed out on a couch.
This prompted Twitch.tv, the streaming service provider, to remove all streamed content from the PS4’s Playroom. However, it still allows gaming content to be streamed from other games on the PS4 and has said it will take another look at Playroom again in the future to re-enable the service.
This just goes to show that you can’t leave gamers in a room with a camera without expecting some form of mischief.
Sony’s woes with the PS4 didn’t stop there — a few days after the launch of the console, reports appeared online that the PS4 suffered from a terminal flaw which now has been christened as the Blue Light of Death.
In a statement, the company said that only 0.4% of its PS4 units is affected which is roughly about one in 250 units.
Service exploited
Even Nintendo was not spared from having to make difficult decisions. The company recently removed a feature from its messaging app Swapnote, which allowed users to exchange photos via the Internet.
The reason behind this hasty decision is because some users have exploited the free Nintendo-made app to share offensive material with other users, including minors. The service has also been used wrongly to exchange friend codes, Nintendo’s own special game ID to play online with other players.
The original intention of SwapNote, when it was introduced in December 2011, was for users to share and create handwritten notes and drawings. The online sharing feature, also known as Spotpass, was terminated across all regions on Oct 31 this year. Users can still exchange notes when they pass each other with a 3DS.
Nintendo’s decision is a wise one as it will protect the minors using the gaming device but it’s sure to upset many gamers who have come to love the service.