I just can’t believe the level of Xbox / Microsoft hatred on this website and on game critic sites in general. I guess it is just the “cool thing to do,” so people just universally accept that “Microsoft is wrong” just in general, about ALL things, simply because Microsoft is Microsoft. Well, that and the fact that people DO NOT want to actually THINK for themselves.

That being said:

Microsoft has given mixed messages to its audience as a result of its X1 press conference. So (Alex & everyone who agrees with him), because Microsoft has apparently not determined what its message about these certain topics is (as of yet) regarding hardware that has YET TO BE RELEASED – we should all be indignant?

Wow! I can’t believe what would happen if I made the mistake of cutting one of you off in traffic, or perhaps gave you the wrong change for a $20 bill. You would probably be advocating for Nuclear War at that point.

And there is this other crap on this forum that the X1 is “not made for gamers” ??? Seriously?

No yeah, you are totally right. A game console that is NOT made to play games. I totally get your point. ( ß sarcasm) Please ! Do I even have to point out why that statement is ridiculous?

I also wanted to state that while “hard-core gamers” (whatever the hell THAT means) may not be interested in using a “game console” to also watch TV/browse the Internet on their TV/multi-task media, a significant portion of the population of the planet is. . . . . sorry. This will probably translate to many more people deciding to buy the X1 rather than the PS4 simply because when they look at the two systems they see one that is a game system/blueray player and the other which is a game system/blueray player/voice activated universal remote control. It literally IS that simple of a decision for them.

A much more interesting discussion is this one regarding what platform developers develop for first. I tend to agree with the argument that states “developers develop for the lowest-common-denominator” first, and then port their games to the other consoles. I believe we all witnessed this during this “last” generation of 360 vs PS3. Developers tended to favor the 360 and then port to the PS3. This seems to the be the case again with the X1 and PS4. That is what I bet will happen again this time around.

What I really think is that game critics around the internet actually believe that Microsoft is on the verge of total console dominance and so therefore are trying (very hard as of late) to discredit Microsoft using their websites. They are ALL doing this. (Seriously, I have not seen/read one article that is even remotely positive regarding the X1. Why is that? No one has even really used the thing at all yet!)

So, why are they doing this? Because (I believe) game critics are fearful of (yet another) a market that is totally dominated by Microsoft. Since the market is already pretty barren that means that people need a lot LESS journalists to cover games. Therefore, game journalists are trying to get you consumers out there to buy the PS4 (or whatever other systems there are) in order to maintain employment. Let’s face it – game websites benefit from a diverse marketplace. Developers will develop for whatever systems are on the market. It doesn’t really matter to them if there was only one. In fact, they would probably LOVE the idea of ONLY having to develop for one console. That decreases the amount of nonsense that they have to go through in order to publish a game.

Ok – I’ve ranted enough I think.

Thank you to those who read this.

@grandizer: do you even follow games at all? The 360 and PS3 are almost tied world wide hardly market dominance. Plus as someone that has a 43k Gamerscore compared to a level 8 or 9 on PSN so I am hardly a fanboy.

2nd while the 360 is easier to develop for I have heard multiple developers say that the PS4 is easier to develop for and at this moment more powerful.

3rd Mirosoft brought them on theirselves by telling us what we want instead of giving us what we want. If Sony has a similar used game policy I will be just as upset with them and I assume many others will as well. Also as pointed out in this article they can't even agree what the message is.

@derelictive: Actually, wasn't the 360 set up very similarly to how the Xbox One is going to be? I believe it also had embedded RAM, so I'd imagine the eSRAM will function much in a similar way as the eDRAM did on the 360. Either way, I completely agree with you that this is a different ballgame than 360 v. PS3 and even though Sony has lost a lot of the advantages it went into the previous generation with (3rd party support), Microsoft also has lost a lot of what they had going for them last time as well (being a year ahead, ease of development, and possibly their price advantage as well). If you are right (and I think you may be) and devs use PC/PS4 as "lead SKU", then unless Microsoft has all the exclusives you care about or Sony still can't match XBL this time around, the Xbox One looks like a pretty bleak option.

What's funny to me right now is that most people this week were losing their shit over the lack of games shown, or the vacillating on used games issue, which to me are non-issues. First of all, the games are coming at E3. Whether people think they should have shown them at this event or not, in less than 3 weeks no one will care that they didn't. As far as the used games issue, stop and think for a minute and people should be able to figure out that Microsoft has to know they can't get away with anything significantly more draconian than Sony can on that front, so either it's a non-issue, or Sony's strategy is just as bad as Microsoft, we just don't know it yet.

The real thing to be worried about is this potential gulf in power. Whether or not PS3 was more powerful than the 360 was largely irrelevant because the architecture was convoluted and alien to the majority of developers, leaving only exclusive games/devs the incentive to take the time to fully utilize it's power. Now that barrier is no only erased, but with both consoles having a PC-centric architecture, there is little or no reason to not build your game on PC and use nearly the same assets for the PS4 version, and then scale down to the Xbox One. Couple that with Microsoft's almost non-existant first party, and it's not looking too good for them unless this multimedia stuff gains traction and quick.

I don't think MS should be given such an easy pass on the whole "this wasn't aimed at gamers" excuse. Because the vast, vast majority of people watching the reveal were gamers. The mainstream press mostly gave this a small article "hey, there is going to be a new xbox, it'll have more kinect and tv watching" with some of the bullet points. The people who they were aiming this news at, aren't that interested anyway.

So you've got the mainstream news not interested and the people that *are* interested are angry.

If you look at a company like Apple, who has a huge amount of haters & people that just don't care, you clearly see that they focus on the people that DO like Apple. Is no one on MS even aware about what people outside of their company thinks?

Both :-) It had embedded ram AND it was kind of like a big PC graphics card ( i.e. GDDR that was just one chunk of memory used by both the GPU and the CPU, the PS3 of course had 2 different types of memory, one 256MB chunk for the cell and one 256MB chunk for the GPU). I am sure some titles will use the eSRAM the same way as the 360 but some will use it like a data cache and some will use it in some other way.

If I remember correctly there was another big thing that the PS3 and 360 had it common. Both used the same 3.2 Ghz PowerPC chip, the PS3 used it to host and dole out instructions to the 7 superduper DSPs that were the heart of the Cell and the 360 used 3 of those chips with a shared data cache. Some of the earliest ports for the PS3 just used that PowerPC chip and the Nvidia GPU which made them look crappy in comparison. That won't happen this time however.

As for exclusives we might be seeing that Microsoft's choice to force installs onto the hard disk and always be online may have been needed to secure a few exclusives so they may have an advantage that they might not otherwise have had assuming Sony doesn't do the same thing.

Hopefully for Sony developers will want to show off what they can do with a system that they essentially asked for. The power differential could be significant only if developers will gain benefits from using added hardware and programmable flexibility or they just want to show off :-) The PS4 will have a longer life as developers will find more ways to exploit the hardware but who wins is up in the air. Sony needs the win MS doesn't.

Oh can't you see...

Your Gamerscore belongs to me.

Oh how my poor heart aches,

at every jab you make.

@tomba_be: I'd have to see some numbers before I'd say the "vast majority" were not mainstream. This event was broadcast on television, remember. Regardless of the wide reach of the internet and the devotion of us enthusiasts, streaming content still has a looong way to go to catch up to TV in terms of viewership.

I have to keep smashing my head into the desk every time I read anything Xbox One related: Duders - the TV market is also in a horrible place. In fact TV is a way way scarier place to be than video games right now. Ratings that used to be laughable and sink shows are now awesome. The next ten years is going to see some wild upheaval in the way we all buy cable and TV shoes. The whole time I was watching the reveal I was thinking THIS IS 5 YEARS TOO LATE.

Make it into a Kinect game? It seems to be all they can do now.

That's a good point. Who the hell in the mainstream, assuming there's actually a consensus of what the "mainstream" is other than some vapid marketing term, is going to be watching this at 10AM and not, you know, at work or in traffic?

Another good point is that people in the 18-35 male demographic are more likely to be aware of cheap internet TV solutions like Roku and Apple TV, to say nothing of the steady march of "smart TVs" and the fact that you can't find a Blu-Ray player without all these on-demand video apps anymore. What did MS pimp there that non-gamers in the advertisers' favourite demographics can't get literally everywhere else?

I saw three games demoed on stage, Killzone, the robot one and DriveClub (although I think they cut to trailer after starting the car up), as well as a tech demo that Mark Cerny triggered with the DualShock. I don't intend to buy any of them, but at least it gave me an idea of what the machine is capable of, and how they fit with the functionality that had been explained (Killzone used to showcase the share function, the robot one to showcase remote play and physics, and DriveClub showcasing the level of detail possible). This was as well as trailers of games. It's not so much that I don't care about Call of Duty, which I don't, but a trailer made up of cut scenes tells me nothing about gaming on the system, as the whole presentation also failed to do (and I can't remember the DVR capability being demonstrated, especially since they would have had to live demo a game in order to show it or it would have been meaningless).

Essentially, for me the two presentations differed in the following way: Sony showed me their latest games machine, Microsoft showed me their latest PVR (that's only functional in the USA).

Best summary I've read on this subject. Bravo Sir.

I understand why they are doing it, but I fear Microsoft's plan of 'all things to everyone' will inevitably bite them in the arse.

@grandizer: Calm down, mate. Just because people happen to agree on a subject (that you disagree with) doesn't mean they have no mind of their own (an easy retort would be that you have been brainwashed into thinking what you think, but you know that isn't true).

If your defence of MS is that they didn't have their shit together before the presentation, well that's down to them, not us. Every other company seems to be able to work out their product before announcing it, so why not Microsoft?

I don't think anyone's said that the machine hasn't been made to play games on (although I've not read every single comment), it's just that that is a low priority for Microsoft. Watch the reveal again. That bit where the dude's waving is arms to manipulate the dashboard. You'll notice he doesn't get to a gaming section (if I remember it goes from Home to Trending and then either Music or TV/Video, I can't remember which way round). Even when he was voice switching to show how fast that was, at no point was gaming mentioned. The fact that it was over halfway through the meeting before they broached the subject of games (for ten minutes before returning to the non-gaming features) says it all.

And I think you can take your tinfoil hat off, as I doubt there's this huge anti Microsoft conspiracy among journalists. You won't have to look far to find some that are on "your side". Geoff Keighly's been trying his damnedest to show MS in a good light since and I've not seen him kicked out of the games journalist club yet.

I don't think Microsoft could have handled this event any worse, it's amazing! What bothers me is that I actually really liked what they've shown the system is capable of. The feature set and the entertainment all-in-one focus definitely appeals to me and I really love the new aesthetic of the system and the controller. However, their dismissive attitude towards very legitimate questions and complaints really just bothers the hell out of me, as does their almost delusional confidence in the thing. Kinect 2 also creeps me out and I find it very asinine that it's required for the system to work.

What I'm (poorly) trying to say is that Microsoft has built a system that I might actually want, and so far they've done everything in their power to convince me not to buy it!

Just trust Microsoft's message that everything went great with the reveal, and it is mostly the media's fault.

I hope they don't even go to E3, as they are obviously in a win-win scenario.

I have been saying for weeks the message from Microsoft is the same as Sony in 2005-2006, totally oblivious to consumer choice and consumer emotion.

One thing that Sony can do at E3 is have some gameplay that shows off as much of it's abilities game-wise as possible. I am sure there will be interesting stuff that will be honestly great coming from MS but if Sony has a few insanely cool looking gameplay footage and say a few reasonable things about DRM and used games they could get some momentum going.

To bad we will probably have to wait until the demos come out for any cross platform gameplay from each system to be seen as opposed to cutscenes. I am sure at first there should be little difference but maybe there will be some differences that may emerge especially especially if a game engine creator really wants to show off a bit.

I gotta say MS is almost as annoying as Sony was back then. MS did not actually come and say "The next generation begins when we say it does" like Sony but they are not the scrappy upstart they were back then either.

@ftomato: Except for the data cap limits will prevent that. TV is not dead yet

I just want to give my purchasing data to Microsoft.

I would like to add that I didn't mean to infringe on any copyrights when I said Microsoft so I hope I'm not breaking any licensing terms by doing that.

Now I'm going to prepare my house for when the Kinect comes. I don't want its area to be cluttered so that it knows when I say "Xbox Go Home" that I mean stay with me, forever. We're going to be the best of friends.

Yeah can I just plug in the Kinect then have it hang behind the TV or something like just have it collect dust on the floor behind my TV stand. And while people are overreacting, this reveal is just a culmination of what Microsoft has been turning towards the last few years which was always disheartening. I just hope they can put out a game I care about again, because that hasn't happened in a longgg time.

Truth. I own a Kinect and unplugged it after about a week because it was honestly just creepy to have it connected when I didn't want to play Kinect games (which pretty much universally sucked anyway). I've sinced moved and it is still in the box I packed it in. The fact that this new Xbox NEEDS it to work is almost convincing enough on its own to sign up with PS4. Maybe the youtube generation is fine with having cameras trained on them 24/7, but it just makes me feel uncomfortable.

The TV overlay is as worthless as when Wii U did it, probably more so. I don't dick around on a tablet and phone while watching "TV" (which I rarely do) because it's cool and in, it's because I have shit to do, and (open secret!) I'm not really paying attention to what's on the screen. Is this thing going to support Exchange emails? If it does, will it be faster and more efficient than my touchscreen smartphone? Because that's all I care about. I don't actually want to be multitasking, most times I have to be. Am I going to be retiring my phone with this? No? Then what is the point?

I agree with Alex. The press conference was fine and actually got me pretty excited to see the games at E3. Microsoft just kind of shot themselves in the proverbial foot with their uneven messages about hot (and arguably relevant) topics. I have faith that things will get worked out in a way that allows us to keep doing what we love as gamers, but most of the internet is not so patient.

Honestly, you've got to be a little bit crazy to actually believe that one console will provide "free-play" of used games and the other won't. The publishers simply won't allow that.

So with all that being said, it should be a fun next generation and an exciting build-up to the new releases.

I don't 'trust' any of the consoles, or publishers for that matter, until their products are on the street and people have played with them, given some waggle room to determine if there are real shortcomings. Yes, voicing concerns before the sale of is important, it can help to reduce, if not eliminate a bad idea, but much like always-on DRM in games, it may be something to stay or something to bad PR away, however much pressure is needed to do away with that. I don't find the Xbox One patently wrong, or the PS4 right, each has to be evaluated, at least on my part, after months of reviews and available games/feature vetting, and then come down in price and/or hit the resale market for the device Hopefully, we get close to what we want in a device/market, but we won't get just a gaming machine anymore ~ unless you count those mini Atari's with the 10 old school games built in.

I don't think the reason I was upset at the Xbox One reveal event was because it was aimed at the mainstream. It was that it was aimed at North America only. Which just seems to happen a lot lately. A lot of Americans and American companies seem like they couldn't give less of a shit about the rest of the world right now. And I find that arrogance and/or ignorance revolting.

@dgtlmeatloaf: TV isn't dead, but is losing "market share" day by day. Data caps will improve as better infrastructure is established. They already don't exist in many countries in the world.

Not to nitpick, but as of early 2013, the PS3 has passed the 360 in sales worldwide. Google it for whichever source you prefer.

That wired article was hilariously bad. Kohler took a quick and dirty overall look at 2 income graphs and called it a day. Quality journalism, people! And as for gamers grabbing their pitchforks after seeing no games: Mattrick could have told us before the conference that he would unzip and take a shit on stage. We would still be disgusted, even if we knew it would happen

That statement is pretty unfair. I mean, look at Microsoft, and what they are offering that North American audience: potentially cool stuff. Basically, what you're saying is:

"Why can't Microsoft offer an identical-value solution for each country it will be releasing in?"

And the obvious answer is: "Because Microsoft is a company of finite (though relatively vast) resources, and making the kinds of deals they are making for North America on a global scale would be stupendously expensive.

The reason the PS3 has now exceeded the 360 in global scales is that exact mentality. Doting on the US, while having comparatively fewer features elsewhere doesn't pay off in the long-run, compared to Sony's more even distribution of features and functionality.

It's a carpet bomb vs. a tactical strike. You're gonna hit a fuckload more houses with the carpet bomb, but a tactical strike will hit what you're aiming for.

Anyway my point is don't be crazy. Vote with your wallet if the Xbox One isn't offering you what you want in your country. Don't take their reluctance to spend millions of dollars on partnership deals worldwide and turn it into "arrogance" or "ignorance". Don't be mad at the lemonade stand because it's not on your corner.

@fustacluck:

I am not saying that "people don't have a mind of their own," I am saying that people are not using their minds. They are simply parroting what media tells them.

The Microsoft X1 conference DID in fact use Kinect / Voice controls to switch from TV to a game and vice versa. You are not remembering the event correctly.

I am NOT defending Microsoft. I admit, their messaging about Used Games and Always Online Media were not clear. What I AM saying however is that everyone who wants Microsoft employees to be burned at the stake for doing so needs to just "calm down." Seriously! How many other game companies etc... have presented mixed messages in the past? Has there EVER been anywhere NEAR this level of Universal HATRED for them?!?! I think since this instance happens to be Microsoft specifically people just use the opportunity to shit all over them. . . simply because it is socially expectable to do so. That is pretty idiotic and sad. (and Why is it that shitting on Microsoft is "socially exceptable" anyways?)

Also, for those of you who think that Sony (or anyone else) will NOT implement "Always Online Digital Only Media," think again. ALL game manufacturers, developers, etc... are going to do this in the future. It is ONLY a matter of time. The reason why this is happening is because of a lot of reasons. (Software Piracy, Used Game Sales at Gamestop, Media Journalists stating that they want it repeatedly, etc...)

So, Good Job guys!! Now the rest of us will have this forced upon us as the result of all your bullshit. To all of you that say, "Well, Microsoft / Sony / everyone else, has to 'make this right!'" No they don't. And guess what, they WON'T! They will make as much money as they possibly can. The End. Also, it is NOT their "fault" for trying to make money! If you don't like their policy - don't buy their products ! (I am of course making the point about ALL game manufacturers. NOT just Microsoft. They ALL have this policy. You are fooling yourself if you think otherwise.)

Here's a news flash for y'all. Making games is hard work. It takes effort and when some little punk decides to just copy someone else's hard work (AKA - Steal it) instead of paying for it, I find it very hard to argue with a company that wants to take steps to prevent that kind of obscenity from taking place.

There is also the issue of used game sales. Used Game Sales are a great thing! It is really too bad that business wants to stop it altogether, but again - Making games is hard work. It requires a LOT of manpower, time, and money. Every used game sale is money being "lost" from the developer that made the game. That means (ultimately) that people lose their jobs. Both sides of that argument have good points. Always Online Content / Digital Only Media is the natural result of all this. It is too bad for us (the consumers) but what can you do other than make your own games and game consoles?

As for the "tin-foil hat" remark. I deserve that.

At the same time however, there IS universal hatred of Microsoft (for some odd reason) When you said that "you won't have to go far to find a journalist that is supportive of Microsoft," I have to disagree. G4 TV may be the ONLY ones that are really saying ANYTHING that is even REMOTELY positive.

So I have to ask myself, "Why is that?"

@grandizer: You make some extremely valid points. Video games are a business, yes. It's also an industry that many of my friends work in. I hate to see layoffs due to piracy, or mismanagement, or whatever the reason. I think some of the vitriol aimed at MS is a bit ridiculous myself.

However, I won't be buying the new system. I'm not mad. I don't hate MS. It's just not worth it for me to put money into something that seems to be so anti-consumer. I don't like that Kinect is required (some of that is my inner Orwellian conspiracy theorist coming out), I don't like that it has a required connection (whatever that may end up being), and I don't like the amount of emphasis MS is putting on things that aren't playing games. Also, the way they're dismissing backwards compatibility shows a lack of respect for the people buying their products.

As I said, I'm not mad at MS. They just haven't showed me anything I'm interested in, so I will be voting with my money. I might have to admit to myself that console gaming isn't for me any more if this is the way of the future.

Looking at this from outside the US is even worse. Not only did they only focus on TV features, those features wont even work if you happen to not live in their own country! So outside the US what does it offer? A more expensive console(they cost more in Europe) and less features. So at best its going to simply be a more powerful version of the 360 with added anti consumer features. Europe is already very pro Sony compared to the US and the whole used game drm,etc isn't going to help with that one bit

@grandizer:

People were talking shit about the console and Microsoft during the reveal when there was nothing to parrot. The used games talk just added fuel to the fire.

And where's this seething anger you're talking about? All I'm seeing here are people dissatisfied with the reveal and commenting on what we know of their used games policies. And there's nothing special about Microsoft, shitting on big corporations is like that.

As for why there's no positive press going on, personally the reveal didn't give anything positive to talk about.

Boggles my mind about the outcry that occurred after Sony and Microsoft's conferences (though MS' seems to have been worse). Nothing is set in stone for either of these consoles so there's no reason to get upset (or overly excited) about either. If you want to get upset about something, funnel your energies toward the increasing uncertainty around gaming console and triple A title's future. I'm personally envisioning a future where the big 3 all fail and we live for a time with just mobile and PC gaming. This is not a future I personally want to inhabit but it's starting to feel inevitable.

Great summation and analysis. There's A LOT of doom-and-glooming out there that seems reactionary even by Internet standards. Many are writing something off before there's nearly enough information to back-up said write-off. Microsoft and Sony both have plenty of time to hype the world up or flounder through launch. It's far too early to dig your feet in.

I thought the presentation was fine for what it was always going to be. I hope both platforms bring a great show to E3.

Microsoft sure bungled that PR post-show, though...it's ugly and has allowed the unknown to manifest itself as something to fear and reject. Masterful bungling...

I just wish Microsoft would have lubed up first is all. Jk.

In all honesty though, I can't wait to cuddle with my kinect. I'm going to name it HAL and we're going to be best friends. I'm going to talk to it all night and hold my wallet out so it can scan my credit cards and buy anything it wants because I'm going to love it unconditionally. That is customer support if you ask me. A device in every household that can make sure the users are happy and content. I can't believe no one was allowed to do that sooner.

Great article, Alex. And I couldn't agree more.

It's probably the most dumbfounding thing about how badly mismanaged all of the post-reveal stuff has gone down. Just how were they not prepared for it? These were things that were clearly bothering people up to the reveal. These are things that were obviously going to be asked and brought up. How they didn't see it coming, or didn't care to, is the craziest part to me.

Of course the always online issue will be brought up. Of course used games will be brought up. Why wouldn't these issues be brought up?

I thought Major Nelson's statement, the one that Patrick posted about a few days ago, was actually offensive. Trying to make it seem like there was some kind of agenda against Microsoft by throwing false information into the water, making it sounds like something you'd read about in Washington. But, all of these headaches are entirely Microsoft's own doing. Entirely. I agree with Alex, the conference itself wasn't for me, but I thought it did the job that Microsoft intended for it. But everything afterward has just been a mess.

To me, all this is just BS to keep the press from really looking into the Xbox One. A third of the console is a motion sensing gimmick, a fancy cable box and a multitasking computer that can't do much, that to me is the real controversy. At least a third of the price is for shit the majority of buyers will not need nor use.

Of course he didn't hate it. As a member of gaming media he doesn't delve into the used game market. He lives in a very urban location where 15 meg internet connections are the norm and not the exception. Said service doesn't go down very often.

So yeah, I can see why he doesn't hate the console. However, your normal everyday people are completely justified in laughing at Microsoft for trying to make us swallow the pill.

Regardless of anything else a few things remain FACT:

(1)Any manipulation of how the used game system works now that introduces any type of fee no matter how small = BAD IDEA

(2)No backwards compatibility = BAD IDEA

(3)An occasional internet check for console to remain usable = BAD IDEA

(4)Kinect "connected" a requirement = BAD IDEA

(5)Tying games to your account = BAD IDEA

The 5 things above are instant no purchase reasons each by themselves. Combined they are a laughable blunder. Even if some of the above turn out to not be exactly as described, the very fact they haven't released any official confirmations or denials means this console in a no-go for me. If they weren't prepared to answer the questions they should have waited until they were. As it stands now they completely come across as trying to pull the curtain over the truth until the last minute. All the exclusives in the world won't get them my money after that. They have wasted untold millions on developing technologies that absolutely no one really wants. I am not going to run my TV service through the console so it can immediately start tracking and disseminating what my habits are. Anonymity is rare enough as it is. I'm not going to have them tracking my every move because that's just what they're going to fuel your customized ads from. And let's not even start with Kinect watching you all the time. Very creepy. Very Orwellian. No thanks.

More positive news for Microsoft on the security/privacy front. Yeah, this is the company I want putting The Eye of Sauron in my house.

http://www.w3bsecurity.com/microsoft-caught-spying-on-private-skype-conversations/

I'm not going to buy an always-on, internet-connected game console with high fidelity audio, video, and infrared sensors. Microsoft has underestimated my paranoia and now it will cost them the (approximate) 3000 dollars I would spend on their product and games this generation.

I don't want to simply hate on the Xbox One... in all likelihood I will wind up with both the PS4 and an Xbox One (I own a PS3 and 360 now)... but honestly...

One thing I've haven't seen talked about much is...

They said it runs the Windows kernel (which I don't really buy entirely). Xbox One, underneath, appears to be just a Windows 8 appliance box. I really don't want just a Windows 8 box. If that's the case I could build a better one than that. I've used Windows 8 on a PC and a tablet and hate it. I can't imagine it being any better on my big screen. And really... fuck live TV. I don't need another box to watch commercials on.

Tangent... I use my consoles that I pay for, on a service I pay for (Live/PS+), for games I pay for, over an internet connection I pay for, and watch videos over Netflix which I pay for. For all the paying we have to do I want to be as far away from commercials and ads as possible. I understand ads support content, but free content. Paying this much money... get rid of the damn ads all over the Xbox UI or I not going to use it!... end Tangent.

Anyhow. We'll see what E3 brings but I have always liked Sony's first party titles so at the very least I will be getting a PS4. The verdict is still out on the Xbox One. I'm under impressed thus far.

Great article. What I do wonder however is if this is really true:

"Microsoft's appeal to the casual player who wants an all-purpose entertainment device for the future isn't some grand betrayal, but more likely a savvy play by a company trying to weather an inevitable storm."

If the price is going to be that of a brand new console (say 500 dollars or more?) will the casual market really in a time of crisis decide that is a good price to pay for a set-top box with 'swiping at your tv gestures'? Because of Microsoft is seriously aiming for that marketshare it needs to be the price of a set-top box and be around 100 dollars or less. And we all know it won't be..

All the all-purpose entertainment device stuff is something that can convince a gamer to get it vs a PS4. As more and more the consolewar will be fought over which interface and additional features you like best (if your not someone who's going pure by brand loyalty or emotion). But I can't see people who are not really gamers forking out that much cash just for a fancy future looking set-top box to watch tv with hand gestures and voice commands. A few will, but that's a very small market already filled with very expensive electronics most of us have never heard of.... because it's to bloody expensive to spend that much money on something like that :)

At least that's my thoughts on that part..

Agreed. :)

All they had to do with the DRM and always online stuff -if we're assuming this is still in flux at this time- is say "we are still working on that and will have more information once our policies are officially decided". That's all that was necessary to avoid the backlash. Instead they gave half answers and contradictory information. Media admirably jumped all over them for it. Based on those half answers, assumptions have been made and voiced all over the internet. Microsoft still refuses to issue a confirm or deny. So people assume a core of truth to those assumptions.

Also, on the issue of paranoia in regards to always online and always connected to Kinect; You may call it paranoid if you like. It's not like I'll a wholly sane individual. I do have issues with real paranoia. But. Microsoft can fuck right the hell off if they think I will allow an always online system attached to an always on camera in my home.

If you want the full next-gen gaming experience, here's what you do: Build a gaming PC and buy a PS4. PS4 have more exclusive and many of the games released on the Xbox One, will have a PC version anyway. And as far as All-In-One? Just connect your gaming PC to your television via the HDMI cable. Then use a universal remote to switch between television and the PC. It's simple. Forget the new Xbox.

i for one will be buying 1 or 2 xbox 360's to keep in reserve just in case the old one i have dies. Won't be buying a xbox one don't have allways on internet here.