I think the reason no one asks is that everyone already knows, they just don't want to make it explicit.

Why can't you lend games more freely? Because MS gets a cut from each game sale.

Why always-on? Because the amount of money paid by the non-internet using customers MS loses is much less than the amount gained by making sure they can sell DLC and other XBLive products to every single person who owns an XBOne. I suppose there is probably an element of consistency there too. They want everyone to be able to update titles equally.

Why Kinect? Because unless MS makes you, you won't buy a Kinect. If they bundle it, then they can more easily get third parties to develop for it because there's a greater install base. Oh and your Kinect broke? Hmm, I'm sorry, it seems like you'll just have to buy another. More money for MS.

It's not that no one wants to ask, or that no one cares, it's that the answer is understood and games journalists aren't investigative reporters. They won't get up in an MS reps face just to ask a confrontational question they know the answer to.

Is there really a point to asking except to get them officially on record in defending their reasoning for this? It's kind of like the ending to The Stepford Wives when Katharine Ross discovers her robot replacement and asks the main villain "Why?" We already know the answer is going to be "Because we can" before he opens his mouth.

MS aint doin no more interviews dawg!!. They decided not to do a post conference round table and cancel the one on one interviews with the journalists so i guess you will never find the answers to your questions !

I think they should ask Microsoft about PRISM

I would like to think that asking "why" towards anything would seem both simple to ask, but difficult to answer. That may seem cryptic to say, but asking Microsoft (for example) why they chose this path for their "next-generation" console is already being asked by the majority of the gaming community already and is putting their policies to task (still after their E3 Press Conference). I would hope that they answer such a simple question with a simple answer, but their comments on the Xbox One being "future-proof" will never be enough and they don't seem like explaining anything more (for the moment, but this can all change close to November).

As an European I'm not even gonna touch that shit with a ten-feet pole.

@phileskyline: People have asked the "why". The simple reason is that they've built a console for an internet connected world. Having discs is essentially an afterthought, and with their current system they will be able to release a SKU without a disc drive at some point.

Is the government tracking your Kinect data? This shocking report should hold all the answers.

@jimmy_p: I don't blame you. I feel like people are ignoring the price differences between US and Europe, there is a bigger story there.

It's important.

There's no story there. Things cost more in Europe because the currency here is stronger and we pay VAT. As an European, it does suck but I remember talking about the same exact thing at the PS2 launch.

I don't necessarily think these are true.

- Lending: You can't lend because you're able to install games to the HDD. If you were able to lend with the system they have in effect now, everyone would be installing their friends games and no one would be buying the games which leads to developers not making money which leads to less or no games. Of course MS gets a cut from each game sale, they're in this business for money. If you think Sony doesn't want money from game sales, you're delusional.

- Always-on: It has to authenticate your library. It's tied to lending and for the same reasons: so you can't just freely share and install games between friends outside of your 10-people circle.

- Kinect: Removes segregation between One owners. This way everyone will have the exact same setup and developers are given more freedom to add in Kinect functions like voice control.

Man I wish "why" was a mystery. I think we can safely say we already know. I mean hell, for Microsoft it's good business, it just so happens that it doesn't benefit you and me.

The price difference is a smaller issue in my opinion, I was mainly referring to Microsoft ignoring (and IP-banning supposedly?) half of European countries (mostly the minor ones) by giving no online support to them. Which is why the only console I'm considering is the PS4.

@jimmy_p: I agree. That sounds like an even shittier thing to do.

I'm exactly in the same boat. Not only is there a lack of online support, but my internet connection doesn't seem to be up to standards according to Microsoft.
At least they're aware of the fact that not one person in those countries would be interested in their highfalutin DRM horseshit, which is why they're not even trying.