Microsoft Unveils the Xbox One [UPDATED x2]

Something markedly different and/or better than what Sony showed when they showed the PS4 three months ago instead of the same fucking thing but with useless television crap I don't use on the Wii U and no games I care about?

Look at you, that's cute :)

What happens if your new xbox1 is destroyed or stolen will you have to buy all your games again if you purchase a new console?

As a non-US resident, this was laughably irrelevant for me.

I'm bummed. Off to a GPU update, then a PS4 down the line.

I just built a pretty sweet PC in a mini-itx form factor and love my Steam account.

But I'll be picking one of these up. I was really floored by the presentation.

I love the multitasking capabilities and the DVR/guide features. They've taken voice search to a whole new level as far as integrating it throughout the UI and from the demo appears to be much more natural. I used to scream at the current gen xbox and the thing either wouldn't respond or would just give me a funky result. I've never been into flailing my arms around Kinect-style to navigate menus.

I didn't expect to see much as far as games because that's what E3 is for. They have to save some of the good stuff to wow folks.

And I actually like the name: xbox One. It's much better than xbox 720 imo.

At least we got to see the console and we also got quite a few details as far as specs.

People are far too cynical these days.

Who Cares what its called. Just as long as they keep making good games. I call my sexbox360 Dick most of the time. Looks like it will have some good games coming out and i like the idea of cloud processing etc. Thanks for bringin the info GB!

I have far more 360 games than PS3 games, I'm not a Sony diehard by any means. I started with a 360 for the reasons you noted and only picked up a PS3 once the price dropped and the number of games picked up. The 360 ruled the beginning of this generation with its online features, game lineup and XBLA. But they've completely lost touch in the last few years. The 360 dashboard has become an ad-laden mess, the interface is terrible and nearly unusable at times, they are completely beaten by PSN and Steam digital sales and PS+, and games have generally fallen out of focus as XBLA has slowly died - especially with smaller developers.

Nothing they showed me today or we've heard before show that they were reversing those trends - in fact everything showed the opposite with their new features. An all-in-one entertainment console with the ability to watch TV and partnerships with the NFL. And I'm sure it will do well for them since they make much more money from ads and digital content than they do from games. But I'm not interested. They could change my mind with E3, or they could get smacked around like Sony did last gen and change course and I'll pick up a new Xbox several years from now, but for now Sony seems much more in touch with what non-CoD/sports gamers and developers want.

I really wish a gaming journalist would come out and write about what this means business-wise for Microsoft rather than the gut reaction from a hardcore gamers perspective. There are two sides to every story. This one is not even completed yet. For the hardcore gamer, keep the following things in mind:

Fact: Microsoft has been telling us this reveal was not about the games since the reveal was announced 3 weeks ago.

Fact: They did announce that there are 15 exclusives including 8 new IP's being developed by MS Studios for release over the next year. Many of these are slated to be shown in less than 3 weeks at E3.

I am pretty hopeful that E3 will have some really great games shown by Microsoft.

Now the other side of the story. Just a quick history about myself. I am a 39 year old gamer. I started working straight out of college at Electronics Boutique and I worked there 10 years. The last third of my career there was spent as a buyer at the corporate office in Westchester, PA. I left a couple of years before Gamestop bought them out. I have a good understanding of the business side of things and the difference in revenue between a popular item and a mass market item.

Microsoft did what they wanted to and they did it very successfully in my opinion. They peaked the interest of not only the mass media, but also the mass consumer. Let me explain:

In the US there are almost 120 million cable TV and satellite subscribers. Many of which saw the Xbox One do some things their current box can't do.

Microsoft gave the fans of the most popular sport in the US(NFL) a reason to buy the box. Fantasy Football is bigger than ever and I have already heard from the members of my fantasy league that we all need to buy one. It may not speak to the hardcore gamer, but it does to many NFL fans.

Microsoft and EA also, while vague about it, also told fans of the most popular sport in the World(Soccer/Football) that the Xbox One version of FIFA will have exclusive content. Very compelling to soccer fans.

Folks, these three things alone speak to a different crowd than the traditional or hardcore gamer, but they are just as important to the success of a console and a huge opportunity for many sales. The PS2 and PS3 were not only bought for games, but early on in the cycle they were bought as DVD and Bluray devices. Hardly hardcore gaming material.

Business-wise this makes great sense as the real meat and potatoes of the machine(the games) will be shown at E3. The hardcore gamer will show up regardless to watch those press conferences and Microsoft knows that. Would you rather they take an hour of that E3 conference and go into everything they did today and leave only an hour or less to showcase games or would you rather they showcase the games for most of the press conference. I for one am glad they got this out of the way. Give us the date and price on E3. Fill in the few items left blank and give me those exclusives.

I really think there is a lot of short-sightedness right now in the gaming press and we need to take a step back and look at the big picture. It may not make sense right now as a gamer, but I really believe E3 will change that perception. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt.

Oh, and I plan to buy both systems, just like I own every other one since the Odyssey.

Ok so it was the same as PS 4 except for the useless TV thing ? On the games side, which will decide my next device be it set top box, tablet, PC or console I think we probably don't know yet as its all promise to come. E3 will give some idea but the latest the evidence of the latest games track record and the fact that I like some TV and love my sports with all the useless computer analysis tools etc means i'm more convinced by this than anything else right now. Frankly I fail to see how you could argue that this seems not to be the best option as it stands he he he he

Why was Kojima featured in that intro video?!

I agree with this, if the consoles start pricing there games like Steam and have great deals I don't care about used games.

Name.... so.... bad.....

On the other hand, that call of duty trailer actually looks kinda interesting. I haven't cared about that franchise for a very long time, but they've got my interest now.

Yeah, the Dashboard of the 360 is pretty lackluster. XBLA indeed didn't follow things like Steam did, but they still had okay games from time to time I thought.

But I think I understand where you are coming from. The past few years of 360 weren't special. I do think they'll try hard again as far as core games go next gen though. I just hope a decent number of those 15 exclusives are actual core games. Not too many Kinect titles and not too many indie titles (Indie games can be greater than big budget games, I know, but when you say 15 exclusive games and 10 of those are Indies that is somewhat disappointing to me still than 15 big budget games).

All the integration and tech stuff holds very little interest for me, but I won't dismiss Xbox One out of hand. Show me those games, 15 exclusives and 8 new IP, then we will talk.

To me it kinda looks like a Philips CD-i. That makes me very happy.

Lol at this whole conference. What a terrible showing.

You can use your Kinect for 360 bullshit right now, and I never use it. It's horrible and makes you feel like a terrible person. I can't imagine being in a crowded room and yelling "turn TV on ESPN!" to your damned video game console.

Cable sucks, and the fact that 360 is partnering with it as a straddling-point for their new console is extremely agitating.

And the layout they showed? Doesn't matter, seeing as Microsoft has completely overhauled the dashboard every year pretty much. Plus, it looks like more ads which doesn't exactly enchant me. Looks like bullshit and an insult that we pay for service that is full of more ads than the last one.

Also, people mocking others for a used game market are painfully dumb and hiveminds to an infrastructure based upon company's profit margins and not the consumer's benefit.

For example, if you wait a week or so after a game releases, you can, and I have done so, find games for amounts upwards to half-off what they cost new just because some guy opened it. Once used games are totally gone, I find it hard to believe you'll be able to find a store (digital marketplace or whatever) and pick up a copy of a game for 2.99.

Inevitability or not, the digital games marketplace needs to prove itself more before ousting a valid market and business prosperity in a used games depository. The fact that Xbox On Demand has games for prices much higher than the used equivalent show that they have a long way to go.

Account-locked bullshit is a terrible thing no matter what it is. This "fee" system? Give me a break, this is just all kinds of horrible in the making. If anything, they should have an Apple-esque licensing system to 5 other devices you could affiliate to you, or something akin to the PS3 "gameshare" which was abused, no doubt, but basically hurt nobody in the process.

All of this just kind of sucks. The PS4 reveal was much more satisfying as somebody who cares more about video games than looking like an asshole switching between shit on my TV that I can, you know, do with my computer and tablet.

Looks like Microsoft's ego did get the best of them.

@slanderer: Yeah but do you think you should have to pay twice for games? That's nutty.

Watching this was like eating a lasagna made with quorn mince. Looks like the real deal, smells like the real deal, but tastes like shit.

I'm not going to pass my sky box through the x-box one. Its gonna require them both to be switched on. Its extra power usage and its just pointless. Why would I record my HD content onto the x-box instead of onto the terabyte hard drive in the sky hd box. I'm wasting valuable game install space. None of it makes any sense.

I don't care about sports. In the slightest.

That console is god damn huge and so unbelievably ugly. It looks like 2 set top boxes stuck together.

I'm gonna miss Halo because I enjoy the single player, but I'm not getting one.

They literally said before the announcement that they would NOT have many games. Every indication before the briefing was that it would be hardware and interface/service based, which is exactly what it was. They showed you the system, showed the controller, gave a decent idea of the specs, and then went ahead and appealed to the 15-40 year old male US demographic. Since, you know, it was broadcast primarily on Spike TV, that US network that is targeted towards males ages 15-40. You got exactly what Microsoft, the press, and common sense said you would get. If you're, say, upset at the name or the look of the system or the look of the interface, that's valid (although complaining about the name or physical appearance is completely absurd in my opinion), but to say "I wanted games" when they said "Expect little to no games" is literally crazy.

That was one of the beauty's of console gaming though, if you had a game and your friend wanted to try it out you could just lend them the game. This would also limit the used game market for those that buy games, beat them immediately, and then sell them for others buy used.

It feels like Microsoft forgot the "Horse" part of "Trojan Horse"

They didn't give me any reasons to shell out $400+ dollars for this thing.

The presentation was pretty predictable, it was nice they showed the box to get that out of the way (It's more boxier than ever). It was nice that they also showed the specs, though they probably wouldn't have got away with hiding them after Sony's transparency earlier this year. I would have to take another look through those specs but the rumours about them basically being the same as PS4 was bang on (they are even using a Blu-Ray drive!).

The redesigned controller is taller and kind of reminds me a bit of the Duke, nice to see it has a traditional Nintendo style d-pad. I'm assuming the bit of shiny black plastic at the top emits something that allows it to interface with the new Kinect. They talked about being able to identify a player and pair them with the controller they are holding to sign them in. Hopefully that will also allow them to do the cool dynamic split-screen positioning that Sony was talking about a month ago.

I'm concerned the new Kinect is not quite the step forward it needs to be, it is nice it will be packaged with all systems but kind of creepy it is always able to listen for "Xbox On". The thing that concerns me is that all the tech demoes they showed didn't have finger tracking, it seems like it has a better understanding of limb orientation but I think finger tracking is the thing that would solve a lot of problems for that device but maybe it can do that and those tech demoes were just not built to show that off (having to upgrade to Kinect One Plus+ would suck).

On the games front: Forza looks like Forza. I'm excited for a new Remedy game, kind of bummed its not Alan Wake but also confused about what it is. The live action and game elements didn't seem to mesh well in the teaser but I did like what they did with American Nightmare so FMV for the win! Call of Duty: Ghosts looks like a decent CoD game but visually it looks like the PC version of a current gen game, poly count didn't seem to take that much of a leap and they were not doing anything crazy with skin shaders. I thought part where they bragged about their fish flocking tech was hilarious because the algorithm is from '86 and fish flocking is the exact type of thing you would do as a simple project in a Game AI programming class, looks nice but is really simple.

Overall I would rate this presentation lower than the PS4 one, I feel certain elements like "Snap Mode" got too much air time while other stuff like video publishing got glossed over. Would have liked to have seen more games but I guess that is what E3 is for.

When dd they say "little or no games" - not facetious just wondering

I don't believe for a second that the upcoming E3 conference will be any different from today's. Microsoft's conferences have been like this for a long time; they show one or two core games, then proceed to shove another version of Call of Duty up our faces, and then rattle on about Kinect and multimedia stuffs.

@burgertrench said:

To me it kinda looks like a Philips CD-i. That makes me very happy.

Now I'm left wishing they'd just gone and announced the RDI Halcyon 2 instead.

Rick Dyer is the future of gaming.

Except how many times a year do you think Microsoft is going to run 90% off sales like Steam does 3-4 times. If your answer is anything other than zero you are fooling yourself.

I couldn't care about the name one way or the other personally but I do think it's clever. It's always be referred to as "The One", differentiating it from all other platforms; PS4, Steam Box etc.

The rest of the info seems pretty weak and the 'pay a fee' to play a game I borrowed is terrible. I'm glad I gave my 360 to my nephew and transitioned back to Playstation two years ago.

That's probably exactly where I heard about that too. It's definitely not a fantastic selling point.

And those days are over. publishers don't want you lending and sharing, they want you buying! Even if it's a reduced amount they still want to make more money than the currently are with the way the second hand market works.

I'd love to live in this magical land where Steam runs 90% sales 3-4 times a year.

Is it too late to want online passes back?

So far nothing is really jumping out at me. To me so far seams like a more higher powered 360 sporting the same stuff the 360 did but with more power. On the bright side now with the new systems, the PC owners won't have as shitty compressed console ports.

Also the name makes no sense what-so-ever. From a non gamer stand point if your a parent going to buy you kid a system would you rather buy a PLAYSTATION "4" or an XBOX "ONE"? not to mention its their 3rd system. I dunno maybe I should wait for the next generation when they call it THE XBOX or 2XBOX 2 FURIOUS...

Also looks like an old VCR... Just saying....WELL LOOK AT IT!

The emphasis on sports games by Microsoft is ironic considering that the best sports game on the market is a Sony exclusive.

Your acceptance into this "inevitable" fetal position about the future of games comes across as a little sardonic, but unfortunately it seems true. I find it a little unnerving that you're so happy to accept a future that basically isn't all that inevitable because, as far as we know, the PS4 isn't doing some of these things that the One is doing as it pertains to used copies.

Well, no backwards compatibility means that for at least the next few years they can fuck right off. This is not like previous generations that lasted 4-5 years. I've built up far too much backlog, both disc and digital, to start over from zero again. Even the paltry (by comparison) OG Xbox 1 got SOME backwards compatibility.

Not interested.

Every week on Steam and GOG there's dozens of titles on sale, some at 75% or more. Plus there's Amazon, Gamersgate - plenty of competition for full price titles, let alone during a big sale time. You save a ton of money by buying your games primarily on the PC, it's no secret.

The controller is beautiful, but the console is not growing on me at all.

The market evolves and adapts to how the world works. Games cost more than ever to develop and market so it makes sense that the developers and publishers want to make the maximum amount of money from the games they make. Second hand gaming was accepted in the past because it was a good way for games to be noticed and increase interest in future products. Now we have companies spending millions on marketing, huge sections of media devoted to video games and social media that allows people to share their thoughts and views on a game. They don't need that boost or hype any more.

If you think the PS4 won't have something similar, I think you're in for a very big shock. All Sony have said in regards to second hand games is that their system will allow them, just like Microsoft's system allows second hand games to be used.

EA is the biggest publisher, whatever deal they have with Microsoft for initial exclusive deals or content, it won't last more than a couple of years at most. EA is not going to remove online passes only to have the PS4 being able to run second hand games without them getting a cut. So either they introduce online passes for the PS4 only or the PS4 has the same system as Microsoft.

You are being very generous with those numbers, it's hardly dozens and rarely at 75% or more. There are deals on the PC, no one is arguing that but Xbox live has 83% off Alan Wake this week too.

This might sell. In the US. But they basically just took a dump on the rest of the world. None of those features, aside from playing CoD (x.x), will be available anywhere but in the US, I promise you.

We'll see how that works out for them.

15 exclusives and 8 new IP within the first year...

How many of those are Kinect games?

How many will be out within 4 months of the system, or is it a typical launch where most of these will be out later in its first year (if they don't miss their targets)?

Not true, exactly.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/sony-on-ps4-used-games-we-are-going-to-do-the-right-thing-6404470

This quote, while it could be out of context, does sort of claim that a disc would be able to be distributed to console-to-console without an ID lock associated with it. But, we don't know for sure, certainly it's not absolute like Microsoft's has been claimed to be.

Also, you seem a little arrogant to your opinions beaming as fact. EA doesn't exactly equalize all platforms in terms of how they have content distributed or laid out. The EA games on Wii U, such as Mass Effect 3, have no DLC available for it on the store, which, you would think they would put out, due to it making them more money: but they don't.

I really think it's funny you're trying to sound like an educator as it persists to how "second-hand gaming was accepted", as if you know the industry from that angle. It was not just a marketing tool, if they even used it as such as a point. I'm pretty sure that used gaming wasn't necessarily used as a "boost" or "hype", more so a given task granted to the lack of technology there used to prohibit pre-owned sales in the first place, given it was a newer industry at the time.

Basically, you don't know and I don't know. So please don't act like you know.

MS really has to blow it out of the water at E3 if they want any chance against Sony this year.

Well I guess Sony should really thank Microsoft this time because they just helped convince me of the PS4.

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/greenberg-teases-xbox-reveal-says-e3-is-all-about-the-games/

"We're really going to tell one story across two events. So we're going to start on the 21st and really that's about revealing the next Xbox platform..."

"E3 is all about the games. At E3, I mean, if you're a gamer, it's going to be tons of exclusives, world premieres and obviously even beyond that we have a lot to share between then and this holiday."

So, granted, they didn't say "This event isn't about the games," but rather said "This event is about the console, E3 is about the games." Which, you know, makes sense, seeing as how E3 is a games conference.

On top of that the Giant Bomb guys have emphasized this point multiple times over the last few weeks. I'm far to lazy to dig through the last few Bombcasts for time codes, but I'm fairly certain that they have repeatedly said that this is a short, one hour presentation for TV, don't expect games, expect the console and the services end of things.

@kmg90: Nah figured it out, but am more than a little bummed to see it thrown back in my face at the console launch.

Thats it, I'm done with console gameing

I never said I know, I was making assumptions based on the video game industry.

Also it seems that the activation price for the second activation will be the full price of the game http://kotaku.com/you-will-be-able-to-trade-xbox-one-games-online-micros-509140825

Ignore, everything I've said in this thread. I assumed some kind of logic was behind this decision and that the second activation would be lower than the cost of a new game, clearly I was wrong and Microsoft just want to annoy lots of people.

XBOne.