The Xbox Onesie

OneBadMutha said:
EA Access is $20 for the year.

Those are options and great values to many. You aren't forced to subscribe to HBO, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Just buy what you like when the value is there and cancel when it's not.

Gamers have suddenly started following the rhetoric that less options and features is better. Single player without multiplayer is suddenly a benefit. Optional cosmetic microtrasacrions that keep new maps free and don't split the community is bad. Services that offer lots of games at the fraction it cost to buy one new games are a bad option. Forward compatibility ruined your generations.

There's a segment of gamers (who unfortunately dominate the major gaming sites) that want to only play 10 to 15 hour single player, story driven campaigns on a disc...with the same terrible AI and physics that we've seen in games for almost 2 decades. They want this forever. Any evolution, including customer friendly options, is ruining the industry.
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Whatever fits their agenda.

It's like last gen. PS3 had free MP and some games allowed mods (I remember Unreal 3 allowed mods and PC cross play). You can play SP or MP how you like, but it's all free. You can play games like Unreal 3 with or without mods. Seems like good options. And good perks vs. 360's Gold fee and zero mods.

Now this gen, mods are on lockdown on PS4 and PS+ is mandatory for MP. Suddenly fewer options. Where's the uproar? None, as Sony gamers sucked it up and zipped their mouths.. Now you don't hear about it anymore.

I think the loudest gamers are simply ones who are either awful at games, or hardcore fanboy warriors. Checking numerous forums regarding CoD (always interesting to see what people are talking about when the game releases as some people seem to know a lot about it despite being out for only 48 hours????), but the whiniest and loudest guys are the ones who seem bad at it. Guys who seem frustrated they are getting their asses kicked so they whine, complain and beg gamers what the best loadout is.

Playing shooters since Unreal, yeah there's some unbalanced crap sometimes (MW2 pre-patch dual weld 1886s), but in general any gamer who has decent skills can be good at shooters. There is also no "best loadout" anyway. I play the EXACT SAME style in CoD every time and rake in the stats no matter how rat-mazy the maps are becoming and how little recoil there is now in SMGs used by run and gunners.

As for SP vs MP games. I don't play as much as I used to, but prefer RPGs/indie for SP and the usual shooter for MP.

And you are right. I 100% agree non-graphical stuff hasn't improved. I don't think AI, audio, physics and such have moved in years either.

I can understand AI being dumbed down for certain games. If it's a shooter, or "you vs. 1,000 monsters", it doesn't make sense for all enemies to have equal AI than a human. If that was the case, it wouldn't be possible for you to complete the game. So they let gamers Rambo their way through idiotic AI.

But for games like sports, AI is no better than the 90s. I used to play NHL and even I gave up. The game is still super easy, but the AI has been the same since NHL 08. Dumb, BUT to counter the AI, they give the CPU stat boosts and allow them to skate in ways a human player can't. Even a 4th liner will skate as fast as Ovechkin with a laser shot.... "when the game thinks it's time to activate boost mode". I remember bickering with EA forum mods and even they caved in and said they do it "to provide a challenge". How r******d, but at least they admitted it.

Fuk, everyone has cable internet now and more powerful rigs, and programmers can't even get MP lobbies running as smooth as 2002 when I was playing Unreal Touney Special Edition. And that was on Pentium 3 running at the crappiest cable internet bandwidth specs at the time.

I remember playing it and the game ran great. Hop from lobby to lobby in the server browser as you could see the map, player count, ping times, rocket launcher only, etc.... It's 2017, and 99% of console games don't even have that.
 
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Kvally said:
Thanks, I think. :). However while I will agree I was a raging Xbox fanboy for years (goes back to when I was an MVP for Microsoft Office, my opinion and stance have changed. Sure I love rooting for the underdog, and I do it in sports all the time. But cheering aside (it's merely a show for forums) I enjoy both equally. In fact I have been spending more time playing games on PlayStation than Xbox. And there is a good reason for that. I used to be pretty much a multiplayer gamer only. Xbox was the king for that. There were times where I would spend up to 60 or more hours a week playing. That contributed to my separation and divorce in 2012 after being with my wife for 20 years. I had become lazy, put on a lot of weight, didn't help out around the house unless asked and many other factors. But gaming was one of them. It was too much of my life.

A year later in 2013 I lost 60 pounds, am a regular at the gym, been traveling around the world, been golfing, biking, biking, loving my new wife and of course my son whom I have 100% placement. All that means I had to give up gaming, at least to the extreme I was. Now I get 0-2 hours a week on average. This means I can't get good at the multiplayer games any longer. So now I focus on single player, hence my time on PS has taken over Xbox. If it takes me 4 months to finish UC4 on easy, so be it. Now I play SP games for a half hour at a time when time permits. The PS has a lot of unique games including short ones like Journey that lets me play in those short stints.

I don't regret it for a second and I honestly do prefer to enjoy both platforms equally. But for now the PS is my go to machine.
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Interesting. Yeah, I don't think videogaming helped my marriage, either. Well, it helped me... Loved playing Morrowind for hours. I don't think it did much for the relationship. Not that I regret it. I needed to get out of that marriage -- she wasn't a bad woman, but her kid was a hellion and she couldn't handle her, and it made life miserable.

I seem to have a tendency to spend too much time on something -- TV, books, forums, gaming, whatever -- instead of doing what I ought to do. Discipline has never been a real strong suit. Congratulations on your turnaround (weight loss, etc.). I could stand to lose about 20 pounds. Hazard's thread has been yet another reminder of how short life is, and how ultimately trivial most of this stuff is.

I can see how Xbox would be a good choice if you're mostly an MP guy. I was never big into MP, so that's one reason I drifted away and now prefer PS. I play maybe 10 hours a week. Still spend too much time on forums. I try to manage it, but it always seems to get away from me, lol.

Anyhow, glad to hear you're not the Xbox fanboy you used to be. And if you like rooting for the underdog, just remember that around here, PS is the underdog. ;)
 
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Andy said:
Interesting. Yeah, I don't think videogaming helped my marriage, either. Well, it helped me... Loved playing Morrowind for hours. I don't think it did much for the relationship. Not that I regret it. I needed to get out of that marriage -- she wasn't a bad woman, but her kid was a hellion and she couldn't handle her, and it made life miserable.

I seem to have a tendency to spend too much time on something -- TV, books, forums, gaming, whatever -- instead of doing what I ought to do. Discipline has never been a real strong suit. Congratulations on your turnaround (weight loss, etc.). I could stand to lose about 20 pounds. Hazard's thread has been yet another reminder of how short life is, and how ultimately trivial most of this stuff is.

I can see how Xbox would be a good choice if you're mostly an MP guy. I was never big into MP, so that's one reason I drifted away and now prefer PS. I play maybe 10 hours a week. Still spend too much time on forums. I try to manage it, but it always seems to get away from me, lol.

Anyhow, glad to hear you're not the Xbox fanboy you used to be. And if you like rooting for the underdog, just remember that around here, PS is the underdog. ;)
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Speaking of books, that is another new hobby of mine. I NEVER read a single book since high school. Met my wife 4 years ago and now I can't put books down. I love it. Read them every day, on travel, at work during lunch, etc. I love finding a good series and reading them in order.

Did you remarry? Where do you live?
 
Intellivision said:
Interesting take on EA Access by showing it as a monthly fee, as opposed to the cheaper annual amount.

Here's Sony's fee structures:

- $60 a year PS+ (now mandatory for PS4 MP when it was free last gen. And $10 more expensive than last gen)
- $8-9 a month for PS Now (a streaming service which Sony cancelled support for many platforms, has no optional cheaper annual cost, and whose original price structure was about double what it is now)
- $40-70 a month for PS Vue (Sony's TV, TV, TV streaming cable service)
- No option for gamers for EA Access (bad mouthed EA by saying it's crap and gamers should instead buy PS Now)
- No option for gamers for Game Pass (don't want to give gamers access to older games)
- PS4 Pro has no 4k UHD (but people, please buy our standalone $400 4k UHD players instead!)

ching ching!
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Yeah but Sony is the good guy in console gaming and need the coin to fight the good fight. Get with the program.
 
Andy said:
Anyhow, glad to hear you're not the Xbox fanboy you used to be. And if you like rooting for the underdog, just remember that around here, PS is the underdog. ;)
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Dat persecution complex...:-->: :p

Kidding aside, you say that, but most of the active users here are either pro PS, multi system users, or don't really care about "teh system warz". Very few are fanboys I think, although I keep to my areas of interest, so I don't know if there are some trolling the PS/Nintendo/PC areas.
 
After watching the Hotwheels DLC for Forza Horizon 3? I would love a stand alone, with course creator, several weather and scenery options and course share function :p. That thing looked amazing :).
 
Kvally said:
Speaking of books, that is another new hobby of mine. I NEVER read a single book since high school. Met my wife 4 years ago and now I can't put books down. I love it. Read them every day, on travel, at work during lunch, etc. I love finding a good series and reading them in order.
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What sort of stuff? I started out reading sf as a kid, then for most of my life read non-fiction. Now, since I shut off the TV, I've gotten back into reading fiction (general and some fantasy).

Did you remarry? Where do you live?
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Nope, I didn't remarry. I felt weird being married, like I was living someone else's life. I think I'm designed to be single. I went through a period of furious dating after the divorce, but eventually I decided it was all too much effort, and I liked being single better. I am cutting back at work soon (going part-time), so I'll have more time to date if I want to. I live in a small town down south, and the pickins ain't great, so I don't know. I've tried before and been sort of underwhelmed.

Zcythe said:
Dat persecution complex...:-->: :p

Kidding aside, you say that, but most of the active users here are either pro PS, multi system users, or don't really care about "teh system warz". Very few are fanboys I think, although I keep to my areas of interest, so I don't know if there are some trolling the PS/Nintendo/PC areas.
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You'll see them more on the Sony side of the forum. Whenever there is some bad news for Sony, you'll see them pop up like mushrooms after a long rain.

Even on the Xbox side, I see plenty of shots taken at Sony. If you're an Xbox guy, maybe you don't notice them, because it's just part of the atmosphere, but I do. Most of them are little slights or jabs -- nothing big -- but cumulatively, there's a clear anti-Sony bias here. Which shouldn't surprise anyone -- after all, this is the Xbox side of the Team Xbox Union forum.

I'm not sure if we're less console warrior-ish than other forums. If I compare us to GAF, for instance -- there is plenty of console war talk over there, but there is also a ton of discussion about games and gaming-related issues. For such a small forum, we have a pretty high percentage of console war posts/discussion, compared to game discussion. I'd even suggest that, per capita (or per posta), we might have more. Of course, things are a little more friendly over here, because it's a smaller group and we know each other -- so you don't get so much of the dismissive "drive-by" negativity that you'll find elsewhere.
 
Andy said:
What sort of stuff? I started out reading sf as a kid, then for most of my life read non-fiction. Now, since I shut off the TV, I've gotten back into reading fiction (general and some fantasy).



Nope, I didn't remarry. I felt weird being married, like I was living someone else's life. I think I'm designed to be single. I went through a period of furious dating after the divorce, but eventually I decided it was all too much effort, and I liked being single better. I am cutting back at work soon (going part-time), so I'll have more time to date if I want to. I live in a small town down south, and the pickins ain't great, so I don't know. I've tried before and been sort of underwhelmed.



You'll see them more on the Sony side of the forum. Whenever there is some bad news for Sony, you'll see them pop up like mushrooms after a long rain.

Even on the Xbox side, I see plenty of shots taken at Sony. If you're an Xbox guy, maybe you don't notice them, because it's just part of the atmosphere, but I do. Most of them are little slights or jabs -- nothing big -- but cumulatively, there's a clear anti-Sony bias here. Which shouldn't surprise anyone -- after all, this is the Xbox side of the Team Xbox Union forum.

I'm not sure if we're less console warrior-ish than other forums. If I compare us to GAF, for instance -- there is plenty of console war talk over there, but there is also a ton of discussion about games and gaming-related issues. For such a small forum, we have a pretty high percentage of console war posts/discussion, compared to game discussion. I'd even suggest that, per capita (or per posta), we might have more. Of course, things are a little more friendly over here, because it's a smaller group and we know each other -- so you don't get so much of the dismissive "drive-by" negativity that you'll find elsewhere.
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There's a few mushrooms on both sides.

Also every thread has become vs. threads. The Pro and Scorpio threads should be exciting threads filled with information. Instead it's. bunch of over hype or downplaying by the same people.

I will say for gamers that have it so good, Sony gamers can certainly throw the s*** too when negative Microsoft news pops up.
 
Dno69 said:
There's a few mushrooms on both sides.
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No doubt. I'm probably one myself.

Also every thread has become vs. threads. The Pro and Scorpio threads should be exciting threads filled with information. Instead it's. bunch of over hype or downplaying by the same people.
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Yeah. It's that polarizing dynamic, where people just get more entrenched, the more they argue. It just goes round and round. It's fun to play like that for a while, but it does get old, mostly because you keep hearing the same thing from the same people, over and over, and it all gets pretty predictable.

I will say for gamers that have it so good, Sony gamers can certainly throw the s*** too when negative Microsoft news pops up.
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Sure, Sony guys can throw sh1t, too. Thing is, because of the tilt of the forum, sh1t thrown at Sony tends to roll downhill (gets a pass, BS isn't challenged, lots of agrees), whereas criticizing Microsoft is often like pissing into the wind (more resistance and challenge). As a general rule. (I'm not criticizing, just describing.)

But yeah, it would be nice if Sony gamers were more gracious winners. But I guess that's not the way console wars work. Got to do the touchdown dances and rub the other guy's face in it.
 
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Criticizing Microsoft is actually much easier because it's mostly true. It's just that some go overboard or exaggerate the situation.

Someone may not prefer Sony's exclusives or online, but it's harder to criticize them.
 
Intellivision said:
Whatever fits their agenda.

It's like last gen. PS3 had free MP and some games allowed mods (I remember Unreal 3 allowed mods and PC cross play). You can play SP or MP how you like, but it's all free. You can play games like Unreal 3 with or without mods. Seems like good options. And good perks vs. 360's Gold fee and zero mods.

Now this gen, mods are on lockdown on PS4 and PS+ is mandatory for MP. Suddenly fewer options. Where's the uproar? None, as Sony gamers sucked it up and zipped their mouths.. Now you don't hear about it anymore.

I think the loudest gamers are simply ones who are either awful at games, or hardcore fanboy warriors. Checking numerous forums regarding CoD (always interesting to see what people are talking about when the game releases as some people seem to know a lot about it despite being out for only 48 hours????), but the whiniest and loudest guys are the ones who seem bad at it. Guys who seem frustrated they are getting their asses kicked so they whine, complain and beg gamers what the best loadout is.

Playing shooters since Unreal, yeah there's some unbalanced crap sometimes (MW2 pre-patch dual weld 1886s), but in general any gamer who has decent skills can be good at shooters. There is also no "best loadout" anyway. I play the EXACT SAME style in CoD every time and rake in the stats no matter how rat-mazy the maps are becoming and how little recoil there is now in SMGs used by run and gunners.

As for SP vs MP games. I don't play as much as I used to, but prefer RPGs/indie for SP and the usual shooter for MP.

And you are right. I 100% agree non-graphical stuff hasn't improved. I don't think AI, audio, physics and such have moved in years either.

I can understand AI being dumbed down for certain games. If it's a shooter, or "you vs. 1,000 monsters", it doesn't make sense for all enemies to have equal AI than a human. If that was the case, it wouldn't be possible for you to complete the game. So they let gamers Rambo their way through idiotic AI.

But for games like sports, AI is no better than the 90s. I used to play NHL and even I gave up. The game is still super easy, but the AI has been the same since NHL 08. Dumb, BUT to counter the AI, they give the CPU stat boosts and allow them to skate in ways a human player can't. Even a 4th liner will skate as fast as Ovechkin with a laser shot.... "when the game thinks it's time to activate boost mode". I remember bickering with EA forum mods and even they caved in and said they do it "to provide a challenge". How r******d, but at least they admitted it.

Fuk, everyone has cable internet now and more powerful rigs, and programmers can't even get MP lobbies running as smooth as 2002 when I was playing Unreal Touney Special Edition. And that was on Pentium 3 running at the crappiest cable internet bandwidth specs at the time.

I remember playing it and the game ran great. Hop from lobby to lobby in the server browser as you could see the map, player count, ping times, rocket launcher only, etc.... It's 2017, and 99% of console games don't even have that.
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I think each gamer should do all other gamers a favor and respect opinions of those with different tastes. What's gotten old is there is usually a narrative about "what's better" and that the narrative is dictated from one like-minded source. I think the favorite game of most people controlling the narrative has switched from Resolution Wars to List Wars. I really don't think it's ever about the games. The game people like playing the most this gen is Troll Xbox forums.

Gaming is mirroring other things in our society in that people live in their own alternate realities and only surround themselves with media and people who think like them-self. There are no open minds. That's fine for Joe Blow gamer who gets 5 to 10 hours a week to himself after working and putting the kids to bed but it's embarrassing for those who claim to be gaming journalist.

The game is List Wars. If these games sold the way they trended in list wars topics, single player games wouldn't be in financial danger.

The reason so many gamers have turned to online stuff is because it's dynamic. As we've stated, most games today don't play very different from 10 years ago. Most single player games today are a grind to get to the next cut-scene or story element. If the story is great (as is the case with only a small handful of games) sometimes it feels like it's worth it. Horizon:ZD was a grind 10 hours in because I had seen and tried most that there was to do and the invisible walls, limited physics and terrible AI resulted in diminishing returns for the gameplay.

I love a great story and gaming creates such a unique pallet to deliver great stories so I absolutely do not want to see that go away. People should be more open minded about that delivery though...and be respectful to those that prefer to play against the most dynamic thing on planet earth...which is other humans.
 
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I'm curious what everyone's experience with reliability of Xbox controllers has been in your lifetime?

I owned three controllers on the original Xbox. The Duke that came with my launch console, and two S controllers after my beloved Duke's right trigger broke. The S's are still 100% functional.

360 launch console controller still works, and a pink 360 controller I got for my girlfriend at that time, both still work.

Xbox One, launch controller developed a straying right thumbstick problem.

Bought a new controller, 3 months later the left bumper breaks.

Had the brilliant idea of swapping the bumper from my busted launch controller to the newer one. They changed the bumper design from launch controller to the v 2.0 controller when they put the aux jack in :(

Ordered new bumpers on eBay to fix the controller, was supposed to take up to 6 weeks to arrive, it's been almost 6 months...more :(

Man I do not want to have to buy a 3rd controller for my Xbox One. They're $79.99 in Canada plus tax which brings it close to $100 which is just crazy, and the bumper design is so horrible compared to the launch controller it's just going to break again, so I'm curious if others have broken their bumpers?

If I break down and buy another controller, I'm definitely sending it back to MS this time.

So, since the inception of Xbox I've broken the Duke, and two XB1 controllers. 360 controllers are still the best IMO, well built and very comfortable.
 
Kassen said:
i've never had one not work for me. I gamed Xbox 360 for six years.
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Yeah man those 360 controllers were awesome.

I feel like they designed the newer XB1 controllers bumpers to be very susceptible to breaking, it's just a thin plastic piece between the two bumpers that you bend over and over until it inevitably breaks.

They cost too much for that s***. The elite controller even has the same crappy bumper design.
 
I have been on Xbox for about 15 years now. I have had the original Xbox controller, the controller S, then Xbox 360 controllers, as well as Xbox One original controllers, Xbox One S controllers and Xbox Elite controllers. NEVER A SINGLE ISSUE in 15 years. My experience has been that the Xbox One controller is the best quality of them all, with the Elite getting the big nod of course.
 
I guess I'm just finally running into some bad luck with mine :(

Had the launch OG Xbox with the Thompson drive, still works. Had a launch 360, no RROD, but man I feel like I'm getting ****** in the ass with these XB1 controllers :( I think I also just wanted to rant about it because I'm trying to fix this controller but the bumpers I ordered from China haven't shown up and probably never will and I'm just pissed I have to fork over nearly $100 just so I can have a functional controller for who knows how long.

If you ever crack open your XB1 controller and see how cheap those bumpers are designed you'll understand. But hopefully I'm just having bad luck and you guys don't have your controllers breaking under normal type use.
 
I don't remember how many I went through on the OG Box, on 360 I went through a couple and still have two 360 controllers that still work, my One S controller still works great and I bought a extra controller a couple months back.
 
I've never had a specific problem with an X1 controller, but I noticed after much use, the sticks get "soft and kind of squishy". I usually replace them when they get too bad, but every one I have still works.
 
Never had a problem with any of them. Solid build quality, with exception of two things:

- After a while, the rubber coating of the analogs will slowly get warped or worn
- The play and charge battery kits eventually fizzle out entirely, where the battery will only work if you have it plug in and charging at all times.... I'd ballpark about 3-4 years after you buy it. My X1 controller is fine, but for 360, I had to buy a second one since I didn't want to always be charging it while I played
 
I still have 2 of my first Xbox One controllers that are paperweights, due to analog stick drift on both left thumbsticks. I posted that here, and nobody else seemed to have any issues. I treat my stuff pretty well, so I definitely think there was a quality problem going on.

So far, the S and Elite controllers still work fine.

Never had an issue with the 360 controller.
 
MosquitoSmasher said:
I saw a good post on NeoGAF by someone. People had been saying that it sucks that MS is focusing on GaaS as if it's some brand newly made decision when it really isn't. I never really thought about it but the guy that posted this is on point:



What changes have been made to their output?

They released Ryse (which had MTs in the MP)
They released Forza 5, H2, 6, H3 which had SP and MP with optional MTs and standard DLC
They released Dead Rising which was SP primarily, w/ co-op and standard DLC
They released Halo with SP, standard MP, and MT MP
They released Gears with SP, standard MP, and MT horde mode
They released Quantum Break with SP only
They released Ori with SP only
Edit: They released Halo Wars 2 with standard DLC and MTs

They will release Crackdown which HISTORICALLY has had SP, MP co-op, and VS MP
They will release State of Decay which is adding co-op to a previously SP only game.
They will release SoT, we have no info on monetization
They cancelled fable legends

The only game that is any different from what MS has BEEN doing is Sea of Theives. Everything else is inline with industry trends THAT EVERY OTHER PUBLISHER IS DOING- adding MP to SP games, making some online only games, and adding MTs.
Every conceivable business model is represented in their portfolio.

MS been doubling down on online games since 2002.
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Yep. Multiplayer has been integral to Xbox since 2002 if for no other reason then to sell live subs ....Xbox One games are simply maintaining the standards already set decades ago.

So back to the question at hand, Why is a strong online component suddenly a negative a month before Xbox graphics take a quantum leap over all others?

What next? Complain that backwards compatability drastically affecting the remaster business?
 
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GordoSan said:
I still have 2 of my first Xbox One controllers that are paperweights, due to analog stick drift on both left thumbsticks. I posted that here, and nobody else seemed to have any issues. I treat my stuff pretty well, so I definitely think there was a quality problem going on.

So far, the S and Elite controllers still work fine.

Never had an issue with the 360 controller.
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The controller that came with my XB1 developed that analog stick drift but on the right stick. Sucks because other than that it works but just unusable when you're standing there in a FPS and your dude starts looking up for no reason over and over.

It was a real issue with the first XB1 controllers when I did a search about it, lots of people had the same problem.
 
Never had a Xbox controller that wasn't user created. Like..... slamming the pointy edges into my coffee table after getting beaten in Street Fighter.
 
Zer0beaT said:
The controller that came with my XB1 developed that analog stick drift but on the right stick. Sucks because other than that it works but just unusable when you're standing there in a FPS and your dude starts looking up for no reason over and over.

It was a real issue with the first XB1 controllers when I did a search about it, lots of people had the same problem.
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I finally decided they were unusable when I tried to play Madden, and my defensive line kept jumping forward (the stick drifted up) and I kept getting offside calls. Very frustrating!!!

Also, picking Netflix programming was almost as annoying, with the selection box constantly doing its own thing. Good riddance to bad controllers, I say!
 
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