I'll be honest, I don't see the gaming side when I look at the Xbox anymore. That is not to say that it doesn't matter to me, but... I
know that both the Xbox One and the PS4 will deliver a stellar gaming experience as they have in the past. No question in my mind.
But what excites me is the potential for the technology built into the new Xbox One product, specifically Kinect.
Example from the last Kinect:
MIT hacks Kinect for a Wearable Map Generator for Firefighters
The new Kinect enables the device to detect details such as
heart-rate. The camera can identify individuals from each other. Proper voice commands. Gestures that work within the interface itself. That is incredibly cool. I no longer look at this anymore as "how does this advance the gaming experience" but "how does this advance our potential to use technology", and I'm incredibly excited by how much has been accomplished.
As stated already, I'm sure the gaming experience (regardless of console choice) will be well taken care of. I've been lucky enough to meet some of the people on the Xbox team in my nearly two weeks spent on the Redmond campus... games are not a 'back-burner' issue, gaming still matters. But damn, does it ever push the envelope on tech. The potential for this to be used in other ways is huge.