Nintendo is the great-grandfather guru of video gaming. Sony is the young upstart with good pedigree in electronics that worked their way into the worldwide gaming consciousness. Microsoft made computer software, not even electronic hardware (that anyone cared about). How could they take on the gaming industry giants and stay alive?
MUST SEE: Xbox One Spec Sheet So Far….
Somehow Microsoft pulled it off. And all they needed was two video game cycles (and a billion in faulty machine costs) to do it. Their XBox 360 gaming console sold even with Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft sat poised to take their first warning shots at their competitors stating how they were gonna take down the heavies and increase their market share with their next major product release.
And then the XBox One press conference happened.
1. No one likes it already
IGN UK polled 76,000 readers on how they felt about the XBox One press conference and the features that were announced. While a small percentage of them were pleased with the announcements 75% of those polled were disappointed. Out of the blocks, Microsoft ought to be concerned.
2. This is the third XBox
The XBox and Xbox 360 were units one and two of Microsoft’s game console releases. XBox One will be the third. Perhaps they’re alluding to the idea that this console will be starting something completely new in the history of gaming and, hopefully, entertainment in general. Or maybe they tried to fix something that wasn’t broken.
Whatever Microsoft’s issue, the basic rules of popular nomenclature state that you don’t call your products something that confounds the populace. In other words, don’t name it something that confuses the folks with money. They will find ways to spend it elsewhere.
3. The only ones cheering at reveal were Microsoft employees
During the press conference for the XBox One there were numerous rounds of cheers and applause for the various features being announced. According to at least a couple members of the press, these cheers were not coming from the press. Piping in applause is for NBC sitcoms. Not video game press conferences.
4. Sony stock went up 10%
Sony, Microsoft’s main competitor after Nintendo, saw their stock prices go up 10% after the XBox One press conference. Though it is being said that the increase was truly due to some changes in Sony’s entertainment division, the timing is…interesting.
5. Steve Ballmer is still Microsoft’s CEO
Steve Ballmer is the current CEO of Microsoft and is worth 15.2 billion by last estimates. He doesn’t need the job for money, but he stays in the chair. For every success he has supervised (XBox 360, Windows XP, Windows 7) he has also been the guy responsible for many failures, especially so since he took over running the company in 2000…and the failures are many. There have been many many many many calls for him to step down in the press, yet still he hangs on. I guess every captain really does want to go down with the ship.
6. Must be connected to internet
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is the buzzword between game developers and gamers. DRM gives game publishers and developers more control over how their product is used by gamers. Gamers, naturally, want to be able to do whatever they want with their games once they buy them. It’s a battle that’s been ongoing since Napster made peer-2-peer the ultimate thorn-in-the-side of the gaming industry.
The latest volley in the DRM battle has been the inclusion of always-online software. That is to say, in order to play a game you must always be online. SimCity by Electronic Arts was recently released to gamers with this DRM attached. The launch was a disaster.
XBox One, in order to ensure that they can use their DRM software (and, maybe, force you to use its online properties) will require you to be connected online at least once every 24 hours. Do you know anyone that will connect and reconnect their XBox One to make sure it works? Of course not. They will plug it in and leave it plugged in. This makes Microsoft happy. Does it please you?
7. TV/TV/TV…
You think you’re getting a videogame console? No, young squire. You’re getting an entertainment hub that is masquerading as a gaming console. A parody of the XBox One press conference illustrates this idea quite humorously.
MUST SEE: The Official ‘Call of Duty: Ghosts’ Debut Trailer [Video]
8. Didn’t pursue nextgen graphics
The XBox One will have excellent graphics that will be a step above what the XBox 360 displayed. However, they will not be equal to the jump between XBox and XBox 360. They said they did this on purpose as they wanted to focus on making the XBox One an entertainment hub for the household. Great. That’s what everyone goes to a video game console for, naturally.
9. No used games??!?
Calm down, this is untrue. You can play used games on the XBox One…so long as you pay the used game fee. And that fee will be equal to the value of the game. What does this mean in practice? Right now, no one knows for sure. What it does mean is that Microsoft wants to charge you more money for the used games you buy at the secondary stores. Not. Fun. Not at all.
10. It’s a Microsoft product
Microsoft loves to screw up a good thing. They had Windows 3.1 and just as it was starting to take hold of the computing market they switched up to the perma-busted Windows ‘95. Just when Windows XP was starting to make Microsoft look legit again they switched up to Windows Vista. And now XBox 360 made them competitive in the gaming market so they’re switching up to the XBox One. Microsoft has made not learning from their mistakes an art form. Hopefully their Windows 8 money will shield them from the backlash. Oh wait, people don’t like Windows 8 either, huh? Oh well. Xbox, go home.
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