Microsoft (Sorta) Addresses Big Xbox One Questions [UPDATED]

A: No, it does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet.

Wait.....what?

one rather gets the feeling that Microsoft were not prepared for the next generation but Sony went and forced their hand. They had better have like 10-15 games to show at E3 in 19 days time and they had better look better than Xbox 360 games. Good Grief that Reveal was boring and inane.

"According to Harrison, you will have to pay a fee if you borrow a game disc from a friend, a fee that, at least for new games, will be the same cost your friend probably paid"

Fuck. You.

I don't know what everyone is complaining about. I haven't seen anything stating Kinect is required to use the console, the always-online doesn't apply to games, the used game fee is only a problem if the prices are unfair (which remains to be seen), and how anyone can be upset that they've only had 7 years to play their 360 games is beyond me.

Not to mention you'd still need your 360 out anyway if you wanted to play Xbox games , so it's not like you're losing shelf space by the lack of backwards compatibility.

Really, I don't want what you people are smoking.

http://www.destructoid.com/the-xbox-one-will-not-function-without-the-kinect-254209.phtml

Not really an issue for the average consumer since its a pack in, its more a concern for people who are strapped for space, like game tournament organizers.

It's basically Steam, with discs.

The disc drive would probably be gone if not for retailers demanding it. Shame we can't get rid of optical discs yet.

I LOL'd

It's not that hard to grasp.

You will not be able to launch a game (or possibly even do anything) without logging into your account. Your account will be server-side. Once past the log-in gate the console will function normally even if the connection drops unless you try to launch a new game or open a different app.

should have used the pic of jeff in the backround holding up his ipad.

No wonder Sony stock jumped 9% today

Given that your hacker alias is "humanity" it's odd that you do not understand the concept of humor.

If I could purchase the XBOX ONE today I would!

I only want the ONE console this year! : )

I just learned on Gamespot, that the XBOX One will not be backwards-compatible with the XBOX 360 games. To be blunt, I am not happy about this.

There are a lot of XBOX 360 games I haven't played yet, such as Tomb Raider, and Bioshock Infinite, and because of that, I won't be buying the new console. I guess I'm not ready to go Next-Gen yet.

They're losing me, the Internet connection and especially the used game debacle are turning me away from the XBoxOne. It's like they haven't been listening to anyone regarding what we wat from this system.

Do you have anything positive about any of these "Big Three" consoles? I'd love to hear anything about them at all.

So the idea is that you can check the internet over the Xbox One with out using your phone! Except you use your phone to navigate and scroll?!?! If I have my phone out already...I'll just use the damn phone

I genuinely dig these things:

Xbone

-Instant switching between aps & multitasking - I realize this is a personal use case, but man I would love this. Switching between games, Hulu, NHL, Netflix, and trying to browse is always a a pain.

PS4

-I love the attention paid to indies more than anything - Having Jon Blow on stage was super impressive.

-the idea of streaming the old sony catalogue, though far off, sounds very cool.

Wii U is trying something new, for better or worse. PS4's ability to spectate games and take over for friends seems interesting and the ability to essentially hybernate the console is a cool feature.

The Xbox has all that TV stuff but honestly I cant think of anything gaming related to be exited about for the 'One' besides better hardware which all of the "Big Three" have to some extent.

It's crazy to think that an entire generation of gamers grew up without PC gaming's early DRM. Some REAL disasters in there. Just be glad you didn't live in the CD-key days as a kid when losing things was easy! LOL :D

The best part about all this, that I'm really failing to see ANYONE mention, is that gaming as a whole will be improving no matter what. The bonus for every system is that it all operates on the same or similar architecture now. Companies no longer have to hire people that get the stupid intricacies of a particular system, like the PS3s god awful mess of a dev kit. Now, for each version of the game they want to do, they'll be able to get far more quality out of their core production staff with less bs transition time, which means more time for good ideas!

Good vibes all around on both the Xone AND PS4 for bringing a more PC like experience to the masses. AND for both bringing up deep system specs on widely viewed press conferences, because that's finally important to people now, not just PC us heads. It's an exciting time whether we all realize it or not. :) I'll take crazy looking and mechanically different pixar quality video game experiences whatever way I can get them! I was born into bad graphics, before games had graphics. Ultra-hipster. LOL People like me have been waiting for this for a LONG time. Golden age of peace and prosperity among gaming ... ? Well, everyone but you WiiU ... no one even knows what you're doing here ... ;)

Alex Navarro, "Make less typos!" Second sentence, typo. The "wordsmith" needs to have someone proof read his shit.

How can Microsoft who has been planning this for months confuse their message so badly in a matter of hours? This is deal breaking stuff for a lot of people and they couldn't give you a straight answer to save their life.

I want to know how big the power brick is for this system

@chrismafuchris said:

It doesn't have to have an internet connection but it needs one. Completely baffling.

We don't have to have oxygen to breath but we require it.

"Additionally, Engadget reports the machine will come with a 500GB hard drive that is non-replaceable, but the USB 3.0 slots can be used for external storage."

That's awesome. Right?

A: No, it does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet. We’re designing Xbox One to be your all-in-one entertainment system that is connected to the cloud and always ready. We are also designing it so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies and live TV if you lose your connection.

So in other words it does have to be online at some point in order for the thing to work in the first place.

I'm out. Fuck Microsoft. That's bad enough, but having to pay THEM a fee to play used or borrowed games is just... no. Go fuck yourselves. I'd rather give my money to the developer instead of a crooked middle man that will probably skim 15% off of the top. And the whole no backwards compatibility thing is also bullshit. They're doing it solely so they can resell you the same game you already bought 5 years ago over XBox Live.

Fuck. Them.

Xbox One hardware is not compatible with Xbox 360 games. We designed Xbox One to play an entirely new generation of games—games that are architected to take full advantage of state-of-the-art processors and the infinite power of the cloud.

Ugh, when did Architect become a verb. Horrid. And the infinite power of the cloud? Like Sim City, then?

Question : Can it turn on my PS4?

@devoureroftime: Didn't you hear? Better Kinect Sensor! You know, a better version of that thing you either never wanted, or regret purchasing.

The cynic in me is looking forward to seeing how Sony manages to ruin their momentum.

Don Mattrick looks so dead inside

A lot of people are saying that they've seen everything they need to, and they're out. That seems pretty knee-jerk to me considering how little they actually showed here. If you're not interested in the TV part, that's fine, there will be a bunch of games. It can have both. Bit early to dismiss it based on one when they have barely shown the other.

@gildermershina: I will say this much. I think Sony did a better job at there press event, but the slider is still set to zero. Yeah I don't give A fuck about ESPN or smart glass but I still think it's still way too early to call, and I still feel at the end of the it comes down to the games

@jackel2072: Essentially yeah, both Sony's and Microsoft's reveals had holes in them that E3 will presumably fill. We know what the 360 looks like, what the interface looks like, how it operates, but haven't seen the games. The opposite is true of Sony. So at E3, will Microsoft have the advantage because they only need to talk about games now, while Sony has to spend time talking about the box, and online services? Or does Sony have the resources to do that and still bring the games?

Either way, people need to stop calling a winner already. That's CRAZY.

@jaks said:

I don't mean to single you out or anything, but just out of interest, is your assessment a sliding scale from excellent at one end to "fucking piece of shit" at the other, or is it one of those things where if it crosses a specific line you've drawn it instantly becomes a "fucking piece of shit"? Is it absolute, an all-sins-equal-in-the-eyes-of-God kind of deal?

If the thing that makes it a "fucking piece of shit" is, let's say, purchasing licenses for used games, then if it suddenly also shoots lasers out of the Kinnect that kills children, is that worse than a "fucking piece of shit", or is it exactly the same amount of shit? What if it suddenly has the best game ever made, which we'll call The Last Apiarist? Would it then no longer be a "fucking piece of shit" console, or is it too late, because you've already drawn that line, and nothing ever comes back across it?

Just curious.

Yup, was already thinking of abandoning consoles and spending a bunch of monies on a high end PC and after all this MS doublespeak bullshit I'm out.

Better start saving!

So if I buy an Xbox One and never connect it to the Internet (for whatever reason) will I be able to go to the store, buy a single player game on disk, take it home and play it?

This must represent how a reasonable percentage of the current Xbox 360 install base currently use their console.

@tjuk said:

It does say right in their answer "No, it does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet." I have no idea what that specifically means, but I gather that you will be unable to utilize it properly if you never ever connect it to the Net. Bummer.

EDIT: I have heard a rumour that each and every game will require a one-time online verification check as an anti-piracy measure, maybe that's what they're up to.

The games you list are not Xbox 360 games, you can play them basically anywhere.

Also, if backwards compatibility means I have to pay more for the console, which it will, then I'd rather not have it.

I have a 360 already. If I feel the need to go back and play 360 games, I'll just get my 360 out into the room. It's not that big of a deal. How many of you went back and played original Xbox games this generation?

I did, but it wasn't that often... with the new games coming out, you probably only really want to go back often in the first two years as games are steadily being released.

I don't see how that's a problem.

I do not understand how everyone is surprised. The reveal yesterday was the Microsoft E3 Press Conference since 2010 minus a new HALO / GEARS. I assume they will announce one of those at E3 and everyone will go crazy again like they do every year. (" OMG MASTER CHIEF MS WON E3 AND THIS GENERATION).

Also if americans think the reveal was bad imagine how bad it is for everyone else. The TV stuff they spent 90% of the time talking about, will not work for anyone outside of the US.

Not gonna jump on the Xbox One train for a while to come...

How so? They spend time talking about how you can switch instantly to TV, Skype or the internet. I imagaine that works anywhere. Why would that only work in the US?

If you are referring to the Fantasy League stuff: that was just one example they gave what it meant that you had an internet connection on your Xbox One while watching TV. Similar things could work in other countries for different kinds of programming.

Obviously this event wasn't that interesting for the core gamers but writing the thing off based on this event alone just because you didn't get to see allot of games months before the thing even is released seems really, really dumb.

The first things we knew about the PS3 was that it had no rumble and a banana controller. Why do people think they have enough information to already call what console will be shit?

Great event for gamers? No, obviously not. So, let's write it off already. That's just dumb.

@zevvion:

Because they already said that it wont work. As of right now, you cant even watch regular TV with that thing if you live outside the US. I would give you a source but I only have it in German...

so, what. you expecting to just be able to borrow game off a friend and install it to your hard drive for free. here have a free game. why not lend it to all your mates so they can have a free game too!

You only have it in German because Microsoft did not say that it will not work and what you have is speculation. You can plug in HDMI and you can switch to TV that way. There is no reason that shouldn't work outside of the US. That works the same everywhere.

Where the stream gone? Didn't get the chance to watch you guys live, it was 3am here in Australia.

Err, yeah, I have always had a full list with not much room for other people Most of my friends list was filled up with people who I had been 'game blogging' with for years, i.e. it was filled with people I was communicating with outside of the games themselves.

Microsoft's boring, near game-less press conference, plus their muddled and confusing responses to concerns about used games, always on internet, Xbox Live paywall, makes this 360 owner a PS4 convert. I've read several stories the last few months detailing how frustrating developers find working with Microsoft to get games bug fixed, updated, etc., is. They seem to nickel and dime developers and consumers any chance they get, I just don't trust Microsoft.

Here's an English language source for you, referencing a Microsoft press release.

http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-live-tv-available-in-us-only-at-launch-requires-separate-device/

It also mentions that it requires an external device sold separately.

Hit the nail on the head! Who knows if its a good system or not.

From your own source:

Microsoft is committed to bringing live TV through various solutions to all the markets where Xbox One will be available.

I'm not sure if we are miscommunicating, but what I'm saying is that stuff will work outside of the US. Maybe not on launch day, but that's expected.