Before getting into my arguments, I'd like to say that I personally own both Sony and Microsoft products (both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles) and though I do prefer Sony's console, I am speaking not as a fan boy, but as a viewer of both of the recent events. I will be making claims based on the information revealed and information that has yet to be revealed.
My thoughts as I woke up this morning were of excitement as I waited anxiously for the Xbox reveal to begin. (Just the same as when the PS4 was revealed) As the video began playing revealing the XboxOne's new sleek box-styled case, I couldn't help but cock my eyebrows a bit and my grin faded. I wasn't expecting the plain rectangular case that stretched across my computer monitor. As the camera rotated around it, further showing off the disappointing case style that wasn't nearly as impressive as the Xbox360's case, (or even the original Xbox for that matter) my once jittery hands fell still. I continued watching, waiting to see the new controller and what I found to be a new model of the Kinect. As the trailer continued rolling and revealed the Kinect 2. My faded grin turned into a slight scowl and I squinted as I looked at the plain box-styled device that would be the Kinect 2. Thinking back and looking at the design to the new system case, I thought further about it, coming to the conclusion that it looked like a bulky DVD player, not an awesome show-off-my-console-to-my-friends feel.
So the case for the new Xbox One console didn't catch my attention so well, whatever. After that, of course they revealed "IntelligentTV" which was a cool feature, though they didn't say how it would tie into cable users other than Comcast, like VerizonFiOS or Timewarner cable. This worries me that the only way I'll be able to use these new features is by buying a new service through my Xbox, or by purchasing VOD from the Xbox Live Marketplace. The new features included brand new voice commands and motion commands that let you interact with the Xbox, without using a controller or remote. Freaking AWESOME! But again, how usable will that be by me? "SnapClip" was one of my favorite features. Allowing you to do two things at once, like surf the web while watching a movie or tv. Something I've always hoped I could do on my tv. No worries with this feature, I know I'll definitely use it, though maybe not really often.
Ok, so due to my desire to keep this article short, I want to get to the point.
The first disappointing thing in the video, that has become a widely popular argument that has been going around forums and popular articles on game reporting sites like IGN or GameSpot has been the statement that was made in reveal event claiming that Microsoft Studios would release 15 Xbox exclusive titles in the first year of the Xbox One's release. This would be great, a lot of games that you could only get on Xbox, fantastic. But the reality, is that many of these games that have been released by Microsoft Studios recently, have been, for the majority, made for the Kinect. Because most gamers (like myself) who buy the Xbox or Playstation are hardcore gamers, we don't play games like Kinect Sports or Kinect Adventures, even games like Dance Central very often. These games are leisure games for the casual gamer or for family gaming. These games were meant for the Wii and Wii U. Not the hardcore gaming consoles that they are being wired for. The XboxOne and Playstation4 both have high system specs, boasting 8GB of RAM and other properties that are making them more and more similar to PC's. (Though they have their own operating system, I know, please don't attack me on this, it's a mute point in this article.) They were made to be amazingly detailed and intense action scenes and game-play. Games like Kinect Adventures are fun every now and then, bu they don't need the 8GB of RAM to run, nor should any part of those 8gigs be wasted on the casual game. Cool, you get 15 exclusive titles, but how many of these will be worth buying and be played repeatedly by your biggest sources of revenue?
Something else that I read about, was an article where Xbox's UK marketing director, Harvey Eagle, said "the console will not function without Kinect connected." This begs me to question whether this will be remedied in months to come, or will it always be about the Kinect? Why is Microsoft pushing it, so that it's required to have a Kinect. Friends of mine that have 360's are Call of Duty and Battlefield players. They don't even have Kinects. From my understanding, Microsoft is forcing them to pay for something that they don't even want to use, or keep up with. Because you know that the Kinect 2 isn't just coming with the XboxOne's cost; it HAS to be included in the cost of the full machine. It sounds as though it'll be just as important to have the Kinect 2 attachment as it would be to have the power cable, cause apparently, the console won't function without either of them...
My biggest concern with Microsoft is that they are ruining their own name as a major gaming console. They have awesome features, yes, I agree completely. But they are turning a GAMING CONSOLE into a "Social-Entertainment Console." By this I mean they are trying to keep it being updated with features that many people like: Skype, Multitasking, (Lazy)Entertainment Control; and they're starting to move away from what is important. For the sake of reference to one of my favorite low-budget movies "Video Game High School," the dean of the school says it all too well when he says, "It's all about the Game." Unfortunately the XboxOne is moving away from this; and to me, it seems like it's changing to become a new type of console. If they want to continue having a strong console, I recommend they split the features into two devices. One will be the Xbox: the gaming console, what it was invented to be. The other, will be a new console, something I would like to coin as "XboxSEC" = Xbox: Social & Entertainment Console.
Feel free to comment on my article on your own views of what it is or with any sort of suggestion. I can't promise a response quick or at all, but I'll do my best. Thanks for reading! ^_^
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