Xbox One - Where Microsoft actually listens to consumers

[Ashasx]

The most bizarre thing is not all this DRM crap, but how ignorant Microsoft appears to be about consumer opinion on it all.

What in the world were they thinking releasing these statements yesterday? Who wrote it? Who approved it? How stupid can you be?

This alone is reason enough to scare me off.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

The most bizarre thing is not all this DRM crap, but how ignorant Microsoft appears to be about consumer opinion on it all.

What in the world were they thinking releasing these statements yesterday? Who wrote it? Who approved it? How stupid can you be?

Eurogamer has a nice article about that actually:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ts-us-to-smile

Almost exactly a year ago, at the end of an E3 press conference in which Microsoft heralded fitness software, Kinect, Internet Explorer, Bing and dying action games as the future of entertainment, I wrote that anyone who has paid attention to Microsoft's business over the years should not be surprised by its apparent lack of self-awareness.

"If we are entertained by what Microsoft chooses to do for its own gain," I suggested, "then that is simply a happy coincidence."

Guess what? The coincidence is over.

But under Microsoft's new rules, we are no longer building a collection of games - we are building a collection of loans that may be recalled from us at any time, leaving us with nothing but distant memories. And that loss will be simple, instant and complete.

[rubecube]

How much longer can Microsoft keep behaving like this? You'd have to think their profits are going to start declining at some point in the near future, if they haven't already (I'm not up on consumer reports). At the very least they have to be worried about how many markets they had cornered that they've lost, or are failing to get into.

Personal computers? They still have the lion's share in offices, but the home base is dwindling

Gaming? Xbox never mounted a strong challenge to the PS2. 360 roared out of the gates but gap closed towards the end of this generation. Xbox One is looking like it could be a massive failure.

Phones, search engines, web browsers? LOL.

The only area in which they can say they still have the market cornered is MS Office products.

[3 Justin 3]

I still don't understand why they are pushing Kinect so hard.

Surely the numbers can't say that it was a success. Literally no one I know uses it and half of them half it. They focus so much of their time and effort on it and it seems no one really cares, yet year after year they push it harder and harder.

[Coys1882]

Can you tether an xbox to a cell phone? Just curious if that's enough internet to push through the 24 hour validation.

[Jbo]

Posted in the video game thread, but Sony going for the throat? PS plus is amazing this month..and for 17.99 for 3 months destroys Xbox live gold

[chemgear]

Interesting, consider how Microsoft funded a good portion into Polygon in the first place.

http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/7/4406...t-trade-policy

After a month of vague corporate comments from Microsoft executives, we now know the Xbox One's game licensing policy was written from the ground up for companies. It's aggressively anti-consumer and anti-middle class, and it outright ignores underprivileged gamers. It's gross, despicable, greedy, pathetic, cowardly and out of touch with a growing global resentment for corporations.

Microsoft is married to business now. They don't have time for consumers anymore.

[MisterJoji]

Originally Posted by UKflames

I'm liking this less and less as well. It is more the principal of the amount of control that they are expecting to have on the way I choose to game. If I buy the console why should i then have to ask their permission to play on it every 24 hours? I have shelled out the cash, I want to play on it when i want, where i want, my choice not theirs.

I think M$ are going to see really bad sales for the XB1 and most of it will be down to these kind of demands.

Hit the nail on the head. If I'm paying $400 for a system, I should be able to do whatever the hell I want with (within the confines of the law). Whether that be play a game without internet connectivity, play a used game, or eat pancakes off the top of the damn thing. I have a feeling MS is going to get destroyed by Sony this time around. The only reason I changed years ago from PS2 to Xbox 360 is because almost all of my friends had a 360 and it was a blast to play multi-player with them. As we've all grown older, I don't think we've played together for months now. Two things make me apprehensive about switching though, that maybe some PS3ers can help with:

1.) Paying $50 bucks a year for XBL isn't much considering the reliability and overall strength XBL provides. How do people find PSN? Any connectivity problems or any other issues you run into?

2.) Kinect vs. Move. If Kinect 2 is as accurate and responsive as it claims to be, it has the potential to be absolutely awesome. Imagine playing NHL15 as a goalie and having to use full body movements to make saves. It'd be incredible. I just don't see the PSEye, Move, touchpad etc. to be all that revolutionary or have nearly the potential Kinect does.

In all honesty, if Nintendo had the same 3rd party, developer support as the other 2, I'd be all over the Wii U. I love Nintendo 1st party games, but the lack of quality games outside their circle is sad. I mean EA and 2K are not developing ANY new games for the Wii U, and I gots to have my NHL.

[Coys1882]

I bet the hacker groups are really looking forward to busting up this microsoft decision. It'll be interesting to see how quickly these things get jailbroken.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Eurogamer has a nice article about that actually:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ts-us-to-smile

Almost exactly a year ago, at the end of an E3 press conference in which Microsoft heralded fitness software, Kinect, Internet Explorer, Bing and dying action games as the future of entertainment, I wrote that anyone who has paid attention to Microsoft's business over the years should not be surprised by its apparent lack of self-awareness.

"If we are entertained by what Microsoft chooses to do for its own gain," I suggested, "then that is simply a happy coincidence."

Guess what? The coincidence is over.

But under Microsoft's new rules, we are no longer building a collection of games - we are building a collection of loans that may be recalled from us at any time, leaving us with nothing but distant memories. And that loss will be simple, instant and complete.

Apparently instead of replying to negative consumer concerns about the Xbox one, Microsoft has chosen instead to hire a bunch of social media managers and companies to downvote negative comments and post positive comments. Also there are now allegations that they are paying companies not to show the PS4 versions of games at E3. Instead of focusing on making a better product product that consumers will love thereby destroying the competition, Microsoft instead spends money on stuff like this. Microsoft lack of self awareness at it's best, it's showing in all their current products too. *cough* Windows 8 *cough*

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Micro...t-359264.shtml

[chemgear]

I love how they are now running away and not answering questions in advance of E3. Cancelling previously planned media roundtables, 1 on 1 interviews, etc.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by chemgear

I love how they are now running away and not answering questions in advance of E3. Cancelling previously planned media roundtables, 1 on 1 interviews, etc.

This is quickly starting to look like the worst console launch in history

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

This is quickly starting to look like the worst console launch in history

Don't want to sound too anti-Microsoft but trying to keep the thread updated with the latest articles, news, etc. It just seems to never stop.

But I wonder if it isn't a "bad" launch so much as the fact that people are now much more connected and able to give instant feedback and do things like the twitter DRM campaign. That said, I am still dumbfounded that the Microsoft message has been so all over the map - such a large company has to be better than that.

[drPepper1]

I'm not even sure what to think of the new Xbox One anymore, just seems like a big mess and all over the place. Might actually just end up buying NHL14 and sticking with my 360 for another year before making a decision.

[3 Justin 3]

Microsoft should clean house. Fire all the boner exec. who are making all these ridiculous decisions and hire people who are competent.

They obviously won't because it would push the Xbox One launch back a year, but this is a complete mess.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Sony should send Microsoft gift baskets. Their profits are going to go up substantially.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

Microsoft should clean house. Fire all the boner exec. who are making all these ridiculous decisions and hire people who are competent.

They obviously won't because it would push the Xbox One launch back a year, but this is a complete mess.

We'll see how launch and Christmas sales go. It's only a complete mess in gamers minds so far.

[UKflames]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

We'll see how launch and Christmas sales go. It's only a complete mess in gamers minds so far.

BUT it is the gamers that will purchase first, not your average consumer. It is the gamers that will ensure they have the cash for the next gen console but daddy isn't going to buy little johnny one at launch, he is going to wait until the come down in price. If all of the feedback is negative he may not even do that but look at the alternative.

M$ better have listened to the feedback since launch or they are going to be toast, time for a few backpedals.

[psicodude]

No, not even close. It will come out for the Christmas season and be one of the "hot" gifts. Daddy's will buy them by the truckload because they outnumber gamers 100 - 1 and have the cash to purchase them. Until the negative press hits outlets like WSJ or CNN, nobody other than fanboys will care.

Oh, and if anyone thinks Sony is going to do anything different than MS here, you are delusional. They are just doing the smart thing and let MS take the crap to the face first.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by psicodude

Until the negative press hits outlets like WSJ or CNN, nobody other than fanboys will care.

It'll certainly be interesting to see what consumers do/choose. And for what it is worth:

First search result search for "xbox" on WSJ is this:

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/06/...?KEYWORDS=xbox

- Games will not work, full stop, if the console has not connected to the internet in the last 24 hours.

You own an object, but you merely access a service.


From the first three search results from CNN (excluding the Spanish one I got for some reason):


With lingering questions about privacy, game trading and selling, and an "always-on" Kinect device, Microsoft has released new details about the new Xbox One console, hoping to address issues that have had some fans in an uproar.

But some features of the new iterations of the Xbox and PlayStation -- be they announced or just rumored -- are driving a wedge between the gaming giants and some of their fans.

Unfortunately, the Xbox One won't work like magic for everyone, and it's pretty clear that Microsoft has hit the same roadblocks Google, Apple and others have when it comes to revolutionizing the way we watch TV.

The company hasn't said, but that hasn't stopped a preventative movement of gamers who have taken to forum threads and Twitter, where they're using the hashtags #PS4NoDRM and #PS4UsedGames to reach out to Sony executives.