Why the XBone is a good console

[Innegativeion]

Okay but see, the thing is, this OP is about 80-ish % defending against (legitimate, often major) concerns about the console, not telling us why it is "good".

The less a console needs to justify its own existence with rhetoric, the better, I say.

 

[mKeRix]

If it's a good console then it doesn't need people defending it. Same goes for the PS4. Also, why are people defending a piece of plastic and wires anyway? Just play on whatever platform you like and drop the needless justifying of your purchases. If you feel the need to validate your opinion so much to others you might want to make sure you aren't just lying to yourself.

I guess you can call it defending, my main intention was to clarify though. There's too many false rumors floating around and I felt like someone could compile them into one thread.
And no, just checked, not lying to myself - still going for the XBox One.

Oh, so if the opinion doesn't agree with yours, then its not worth hearing? As if what you have to say, the brushing off of opposing opinion by claiming they're nothing more than the biased, knee-jerk reactions of the mob, isn't entirely myopic in and of itself.

Hey man, now you're either accidentally or purposely misunderstanding his statement. He just said that it was nice to hear some other opinions than the usual "PS4 is better" you could find on here for the last 48 or so hours.
And you can't deny that the PS4 debate was actually at least evolving to an angry mob. I honor people with their opinions and choices if they know why they made these choices. If they didn't, they're just sheep.

 

[fozzy360]

Hey man, now you're either accidentally or purposely misunderstanding his statement. He just said that it was nice to hear some other opinions than the usual "PS4 is better" you could find on here for the last 48 or so hours.
And you can't deny that the PS4 debate was actually at least evolving to an angry mob.

When you casually brush off the reason why there's so much hate for Microsoft and their console to simple mob hate, it's not hard to misinterpret that and it kills any debate you may want to have.

And you can't deny that the PS4 debate was actually at least evolving to an angry mob.

Again, this isn't some blind hatred based off of nothing. To ignore the reason why there's so much anger is just as short-sighted, because this discussion goes far beyond which console someone prefers.

 

[Longstreet]

Man man man, this is gonna keep us busy with enough topics for the next couple of weeks eh.

Anyway, let's get started on dismantling the shit out of the Xbone features;

1) The main point with this is, YOU DO NOT OWN GAMES. If this gets pushed through, you rent a game for 60 bucks. Hence why the can say "no you can not resell / lend this out" When you buy something, it's yours not the publishers(or retailers) anymore. YOU should be able to decide whether or not you would like to resell it, not some third party.

2)Although they improved it after cowering out of their previous stance on this subject (aka fuck you, you no give game away) It's still BS. Why can't i just mail him the disc, if he lives far away, or let him grab it out of my box if he wants to borrow it. Why do i have to do this complete circus act of jumping through hoops to please the M$ gods?

3) Your internet won't always work. There WILL be times when your internet can be down for 48hours or longer, it that case it is just a nice brick. Mircosoft essentially closes off something YOU paid 500 bucks for because a tornado just happened to pass by. Or your router broke. Or the ISP went tits up. Or whatever reason your internet might be down for.

People whole live in rural area's with shit internet got fuck all use for the Xbone.

Then the 1 hour check in when you are not home. What is this BS. First off all why is it 1 hour? I haven't seen a solid argument for that. (If you say anti-piracy i will reach through this monitor and slap you on the head.)

Should you need internet for a MULTIplayer game, well of course. Do you need it for a SINGLE player game? No, so fuck off with it.

What do i need to play a singleplayer game with PS4? a power cord. What do i need with the Xbone? A power cord, an internet cable, a stable connection, a connection of 1,5Mb/s or up, the faith that the mircosoft servers won't fuck up.

Then lastly remember all the troubles with Sim City and Diablo 3? Would you like for you Xbone to be usefull for nothing more than a paper weight the first days after launch? What will happen when the people that buy it have to do their check in and do it ALL AT ONCE, i can see a few server burning down already. OP Said in a post which i am too lazy to quote that they already have 300K servers, did you mean those cloud servers they were talking about?

4)They have NO rights to FORCE a product on me, if they want to gift it with the Xbone, fine that is their desicion. In my eyes that damn sure doesn't justify a 100 bucks price difference. But then it also needs to ALWAYS BE PLUGGED IN. to spy on you. I don;t want a camera looking at me all the time.

Have you SEEN some of the games that use kinect? it doesn't fucking work.

You say it can be turned off compeletely, no it can't. IT still NEEDS to be ON because certain commands (Xbone ON) Will still work.

You say they won't spy on you, but did the NSA ask permission from citizens all around the world to use PRISM? No they didn't. And they did spy, and still do, spy on us.

Also, i believe it was Mircosoft but i might be wrong about the company, they filed for a patent that basically was software that could monitor, through let's say kinect, how many people are watching a movie / playing a game. If that is more that 1 or 2 they will start charging you MORE.

Games don't NEED to be designed with kinect in mind. They NEED to be designed as a good game with Kinect as an OPTIONAL component.

5) I know fuck all bout the hardware, some say it is about the same. I also saw one guy saying in a post in this thread that the PS4 is 50%more powerfull. I still have to see a single thread of evidence that Cloud Computing works, until that it is just BS.

6)Here they just marketed it wrong, or at least that is their main error. People buy a Xbone for GAMING. Not for TV, not for a dvd player. Gaming.

Everybody who wants and Xbox already has a TV or dvd player. In short, it is an unnecessary innovation.

7) Purely something player specific. Some prefer the Xbone controller, some the PS4's. Not an argument in favor nor against the Xbone.

8) Aesthetics, again, purely player specific. Again not an argument in favor nor against the Xbone. (although it still looks like a VCR)

9) Most games they said are exclusives aren't exclusives, they just dropped support. Halo 1 / 2 also on PC. They re introduced the Halo series purely for the fact that that is what sold the first Xbox so well.

They flat out LIED during the press conference when they said TitanFall is a Xbone Exclusive, it's also on the PC.

A fuckton of other games that gamers are interested in will me multi-platform. All the Xbone got is Halo 5 and MAYBE MLG CoD gaming. But i don't know how the PS4 will handle that.

10) It's not essentially the same, you pay ONE HUNDRED BUCK MORE for the Xbone. What do you get in return? Mandatory circus style hoop jumping, a device that can turn into a brick, a augmentation that is unwanted by most people and more DRM.

No they are not the same, PS4 is a gaming device (SUPPRISE, you are on a gaming website) The Xbone is more suited as a dvd player and dancing games.

Note; i am a pc gamer. Getting neither of these.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Dude, it's not "Gamesharing" it's "License" sharing. You don't own an actual copy of game code, your essentially renting the game and at any moment Microsoft can simply drop support of them from the console.

I think Sony might be going the same rout, and it's a damn shame and terrible for consumers.

Microsoft won't just drop support for a game, that would ruin their market. And apart from that, a game disc is a license as well, just a physical one. I fail to see the disadvantages of just giving one of your friends a copy digitally and instantly no matter where on the world he is instead of having to give him the disc.

So basically your whole counter arguement is "Naaahhhhh they won't do that!" <.<

The difference is, if I want, I can go ahead and hook up my Genesis. Get my Dynamite Headdy on. I buy an Xbone, a decade later I won't be able to play anything because they'll drop support for the console and I won't be able to log in.

If my "license" is my physical medium, I'm cool with that. This copy of Bioshock Infinite to my left here is mine, and I can do with it what I please. If my license is this abstract thing, they can place any sort of restriction they want on that. Don't like that.

Ohhhh but I suppose I don't have to worry, cause they won't do that

 

[RoBi3.0]

No matter how you spin it an extra 100 dollars is a big deal. Yes the Xbox 1 comes with camera but if you couldn't give two shits about it it is worth nothing. 100 dollars is a nice chunk of money I can use to buy stuff for my kids come Winter Solstice season.

All the game sharing benefits do not make up for the fact that if I don't connect to the Internet every 24 hour I can't play any games what so ever. The Internet is far from prefect it can and does go down. That is not even taking into account what happens if you have to move change ISP or whatever. This is not a ever pressing issue, but it still annoying that at some point through no fault of your own you will not be able to play game you paid for, not even the one that are not single player games. That's poor form. This will not change no matter how many people complain because that is how Microsoft will be managing used games. You sell your game they will then access your Xbox and erase said game from your hard drive. This is the biggest issue I have with the Xbox 1.

PS+ to play multiplayer ps4 is a little sucky, but even before it had multiplayer rolled in it was one hell of a value. I have half a 500 gig hard drive full of free games and I have not even been paying for PS+ the entire time it has been out. Microsoft has announced it will be doing something similar, but nothing they have said yet leads me to believe it will be comparable in value. Also Sony is not requiring a PS+ Subscription to access 3rd party services like Netflix, which are something you pay for but can't use on Xbox unless you also pay for gold. I always felt that was pretty shitty.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

My only gripes

5. Hardware:
The hardware isn't too different, really. You have about the same specs in both consoles, if I trust some of the other posts I read the XBone is slightly worse, but that's nothing you could notice. Apart from that, Microsoft has the whole cloud computing thing going, and while you might start laughing at me now, this is the future and even Sony knows it.

False. The ps4 has 50% more processing power than the xbox one and no amount of cloud magic can change that. Either Microsoft can stream the entire video footage from a game being processed somewhere else or they basically can't do anything

10. Price:
I know, I know, money doesn't grow on trees. However, the console price is essentially the same for both. What makes up the other 100 dollars are the extra things in the package, like the Kinect, that you'd have to purchase separately for the PS4. And Gold doesn't count as an argument either, Microsoft and Sony both do the paying for multiplayer now. And so far, Microsoft's servers seem more powerful (waiting for statement on Sony's side), and they've been that way in the past as well

That's part of the point. It's like if I bought a pc and it came with a full blown, 5 mega pixel webcam that cost $100. That's cool and all, but I don't want it. I like that Sony gives us the choice. Microsoft has no reason to make this thing necessary for the console because we can control it just fine with a controller. Want a kinect? Pay $100 for it and enjoy.

And the Xbox Gold vs PS+ totally does count. You can't do shit on an xbox without gold. You can't download certain apps like Netflix and you can't even use their freaking Internet Explorer. Microsoft is basically saying "Don't play multiplayer games? Then I hope you like eating shit because you can't play with any of my other toys either. And I still want more money so I hope you like dashboard advertisements. Thanks for your support, bye". Sony does the exact opposite. "You signed up for ps+? Thanks! I hope you like discounts, cloud storage, and free games too!". And I've never had trouble playing multiplayer on my ps3. Maybe now that they're charging for it I'll see some of these improvements xbox users keep talking about

Other than that, everything else it pretty legit. I like the controller too. The way they put those grips around the sticks is genius. And I'm surprised Microsoft themselves aren't talking more about the whole "sharing over the Internet" thing because that might make it worth buying (for some people. Not me)

 

[mKeRix]

I have no doubt the Xbone can be a decent console and maybe will have some nice exclusives (that won't eventually be on the PC) but it really comes down to the bottom line in my instance. The PS4 costs 100 bucks less then the Xbone, that's nearly 2 extra games I can buy at launch instead. I personally would have no desire for the Kinect because the way my room is set up, there isn't enough room to justify using it, and I don't want to spend 100 extra bucks just to have voice command. I can select an option just fine using the directional pad and a button.

If both are going to be roughly the same in power, maybe even the PS4 slightly more with GDDR5 ram used for the processing of games instead of DDR3 being used to process the operation system of the Xbone. That 100 bucks less is all the justification I need to avoid the Xbox until the machine itself goes down in price massivly, which could be up to 3 years. By which point I'd still be better off not getting it in favor of just buying games or updating my PC.

Yep, if you don't need the extra features or any exclusives, it's definitely not worth it, especially if you're short on money. That's what makes competing platforms great, you can choose what fits to you best.

Essentially, I think the big issues here are sharing, used games and the online requirement. I always got the feeling people were being a little tongue in cheek about the kinect. I think the rest aren't a very big deal. People would get by with them and I don't think people are piling on the way you think about those.

I've addressed all the other points you made again in my other posts (I think second or third one in this thread), so I won't comment on them again.
But you're right, those are the major issues. Sadly that is also because the information isn't understood right, a lot of false rumors have caused these problems. Although, again, you're right, the 24h limit is definitely a problem. The rest of the things I mentioned were in there because I wanted to try to just compile everything into one thread - I've seen people complaining about them however.

It's nice that the OP tried to be as objective as possible --I think you almost succeeded, for what it's worth-- but absolutely anyone making excuses for Microsoft at this point, and that is all they are, still comes off as a battered spouse trying to reason why they stay with their abusive dickhead of a partner.

I'm awfully sorry if I do appear like that to you, but I don't know how else to phrase it. This is really just my personal, honest opinion. For me both consoles are equally good, but as someone with a lot of Microsoft devices/services, I'm choosing the XBox One as it fits better to how I want my console to be.

'But Microsoft can change!'
'He only hurts us because he loves us!'
'Sure I'm still allowed to go see my friends; I just need to let him know where I am at all times and stop and come home as soon as he says.'

Okay, I think I dragged that metaphor on long enough.

I had to laugh.

As an ideal, I'm reasonably intrigued but I just don't see reality measuring up. Even if - even if - there is the stipulation that all the servers will work wonderously and never fail enough to impact user's ability to enjoy products services they paid for, then the problem becomes the potential for companies to change the terms of service. You don't own anything with the Microsoft model, as I understand it. The frustration of having a favorite server shut down and losing multiplayer capability for a game? That'd be nothing next to finding your entire library zotted, and I don't see that as something which wouldn't happen by a company that's so casually dismissive of backwards compatability as Microsoft.

I understand your concerns, but all I can answer regarding servers is that we have to wait and see, there's no other way of confirming what will happen in any way.
And yeah, that would be saddening. But it works for Steam, Spotify and so on. Our market is developing and shifting more to online stores at the moment, and I can't say I particularly dislike it (my Steam account is a good piece of evidence for that, haha). It's up to you.

I find this a pretty fascinating reversal of earlier generation of consoles launches. Playstation 2 was, in my circle, the friendlier / more youth oriented console while the xBox was for the hardcore ( mostly pc converts). Totally anecdotal, your milage may vary, etc etc, but will be interesting to see if it'll be born out. IMHO I agree that the XBone is aimed at a more casual market and that it is the pursuit of this which has resulted in the policies which are stirring up so much debate.

Crazy how everything changed in one generation, eh? Sony and Microsoft both wanted to aim for the different audience this time as it seems, resulting in this whole mess. We'll see how that turns out.

Okay but see, the thing is, this OP is about 70-ish % defending against (legitimate, often major) concerns about the console, not telling us why it is "good".

The less a console needs to justify its own existence with rhetoric, the better, I say.

I told you the advantages and disadvantages of the console. I can't make it the holy grail of gaming, because it isn't. But it's just as good as the PS4 (or, that's what I found out) when comparing.
And I'm "justifying" this console because many false rumors have ruined the overall picture more than needed. So I thought I might as well compile a thread with all the information. I realize that this is partly Microsoft's fault for their marketing, but that doesn't stop me from expressing my opinion.

 

[pigsnoutman]

I want the xbox to be competative. Because without competition, SONY will become as bad as microsoft are planning to be.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

Gotta hate those people with different opinions.

I think toilet paper is overrated. I prefer tree bark.

Seriously, tell me another one. What's next, haters gonna hate? I mean if we're insulating ourselves from all criticism, no matter how well founded, why not go wide with it?

I want the xbox to be competative. Because without competition, SONY will become as bad as microsoft are planning to be.

I'm glad we have Origin to keep Steam on the straight and narrow.

Thread needs more poorly-thought out equivalencies. Apparently all opinions are equally valid AND we need to support companies constantly trying to screw us or the ones who don't will become too successful.

 

[suntt123]

1. Used games:
The blockade of selling used games is entirely up to the publisher, so are the fees. What Microsoft has done here is an official way of what already happened before. Remember the Online Passes? That's just like that. Nobody has has to use them. They can. Now, if EA would decide to be a dick and use it - what would happen? They'd do it on every platform. They won't be interested in holding up Sony's image of the messiah console, they want their money. So afaik, it doesn't matter. The possibilities are there on both platforms.

This doesn't make it "good" exactly... Best case scenario is that it goes unused. But still, the fact that it is there means that it could potentially be misused. Even if nobody's done so yet, the fact that it's even there isn't exactly encouraging.

2. Game sharing:
After Sony's admittedly hilarious video about sharing games (which was also perceived as childish by some, but I think these little slaps are fun in a way) people have been saying that you won't be able to share games on the XBone. Well, yes and no. You can still share games, you can give your game to up to 10 of your friends without even having to hand them your disc, they'll just have it on their account and can easily download and play it right away. The only thing here is, you need to have them on your friends list for at least 30 days and you can only give them them every game once. But honestly, I don't think that's too limiting. I wouldn't hand out my games to people that I just met either. And if you know them for a while and they just made a new account, then 30 days isn't bad either. Apart from that, I've never seen anyone rent a game twice. If you like it after playing it, you usually just buy it.

UPDATE: Mixed this up a little bit, but thankfully [user]9thRequiem[/user] clarified it:

This is two separate things.
One is that up to 10 friends can be in your "Family", and can play your games whenever they like, though each game can only be played by one friend at a time. This is "Sharing" games. I have no idea why this feature isn't widely loved - Share games, with close friends, without needing a disc. If Microsoft went down the Sony route and made a snarky video, maybe things would be clearer.
Separately, there's "Giving" games, which can be done to anyone who's been on your friends list for at least 30 days and can only be done once. After giving someone a game, you no longer have it. This is a much less useful feature, but still beats Steam's game giving.

This is nice, but the fact that I can't just GIVE/LEND a nearby friend/family my game makes this more of a hassle in most cases. In some cases more useful but generally, I think it's less so.

3. 24h offline time:
This is a point I can't say much about. I can think of many reasons why they'd do such a thing, but there's nothing I really want to defend here. For me it's no problem at all, I like my games and consoles (and PC) for the online multiplayer, but I see why it would bother people. On the other hand, I'm sure this is nothing they couldn't change. It happened before, so you can hope. If you know you'll be offline for longer than a day, then definitely don't buy the XBone yet though.

Yeah, it is kinda dumb. Mostly harmless, but dumb.

4. Evil spying Kinect:
This wrong, just wrong. It has been confirmed that the Kinect can be turned off completely long ago, and you won't be spied. The Kinect itself is also a fairly useful tool, I own a Kinect 1 and there are some fun games for it out there, and it adds functionality by voice commands etc. I know people don't like being forced to get a product, but it's entirely possible that there will be an "Arcade" edition like with the 360, which is cheaper and delivered without Kinect. "Why did Microsoft do this in the first place?" you could ask now. To prevent segmentation. This way everyone has the same setup and games can be designed in that way. Apart from that I believe that if people don't try something new over time, things can't evolve.

People who honestly think the kinect is spying on them are just paranoid. Even if there is a chance the thing can be hacked so other people can see it's probably just gonna be in front of your couch anyway. I honestly think people's real problem was that you couldn't opt out of buying one since most people didn't really care for the original.

5. Hardware:
The hardware isn't too different, really. You have about the same specs in both consoles, if I trust some of the other posts I read the XBone is slightly worse, but that's nothing you could notice. Apart from that, Microsoft has the whole cloud computing thing going, and while you might start laughing at me now, this is the future and even Sony knows it.

Hardware is okay. Though honestly, has technology really advanced enough to justify a whole new console? HD game development is hardly sustainable as is and I can't help but fear the next-gen prices.

6. Features:
The XBone is an entertainment device, and it's being marketed as such. Personally, I'd be happy if my device could do more, not mad as many others. I can use Skype, watch TV, play games, record, upload and stream... I'm happy about features. It works just like a small PC (I know, PC master race bla bla), and I think that this is good that way. I would like to see a unified experience over all devices one day.

This is ok, but the WiiU could do most of those things and it doesn't come mandatory online checks, subscription fees or
(potentially) block used games.

7. Controller:
For some reason I also found some people complaining about the controller. I can't really understand that, for me the XBox controller has always been the best one on the market right now. Wasn't able to hold a PS4 controller so far, but the PS3 ones were none I could really play with.

The controller is pretty much the same so my only complaint is that the 360's won't be compatible so if I bought one I'd need 3 more controllers. I know they changed the names of start and back and maybe those buttons do something different, but they couldn't have just added a tab in the home menu? I just don't see how exactly that justifies a whole new controller.

8, 9 and 10

Agreed.

I think most people's complaint with XB1 is that, generally, the 'new features' just feel more like restrictions or just pointless. Plus, some features won't be available outside of the US (not at launch at least) and it requires a constantly strong internet connection. That makes it seem like their attitude is that if you aren't in the US and don't have good internet ALL THE TIME, they don't need your business. Now, obviously this probably isn't true. But why make these 'features'? The only one that I can say actually adds anything is the game sharing and even then I can only trade a game ONCE? And only if that person has been my friend for 30 days? Why? Though there is the family sharing thing and that sounds awesome.

Anyway, I live in Canada and have a craptastic internet connection. So I'm definitely not gonna buy this. I might have though. Before they confirmed all of this.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

I know right. Wouldn't it be easier if you could just outlaw original opinions?

If your opinion happens to be poorly thought-out, you should probably prepare for criticism.

But please, more sarcasm and more hastily deployed "universal truths" that also happen to be laughably reductive.

Anyways, my original point was that the internet will reliably generate someone to debate even the most ridiculous slam-dunk statements. That's just how the internet rolls. This happens to be a good example.

 

[Lightknight]

It's not that it can't be a legitimate console. It's that when you stack it against the alternatives then there's barely any category that it wins out. It forces unwanted features and touts having solved issues we weren't having by filling needs that weren't there while charging us more for what appears to be less. Every game purchased on its competitor systems will be actually owned license and not the new crap Microsoft is trying to pull.

The Xbone is, in a lot of ways, a clear step against its consumers. It's all about forcing things on us whether we want it or not just because they think they know what's best for us.

Will it play games? Sure. Will it play them well? Probably. But that's not all there is.

 

[Flaery]

Pretty much everything you mentioned is a needless restriction or short-coming the XBone has. Even though they don't sound immensely awful on there own, we shouldn't have to stand for it, especially considering the other two console are not only cheaper, but also don't impose those restrictions.

 

[xplosive59]

Go to bed Microsoft PR division, you have already dug yourself a large enough hole.

 

[kenu12345]

You know what this whole claim that the 'cloud' is suppose to make games better. Blast processing. Yeah thats all I can think of when I hear people bring that up for some reason

 

[GAunderrated]

Okay but see, the thing is, this OP is about 80-ish % defending against (legitimate, often major) concerns about the console, not telling us why it is "good".

The less a console needs to justify its own existence with rhetoric, the better, I say.

That is because there are many people who are hired to make threads like these to try and spread disinformation and get consumers to not realize how bad certain products are.

If someone legitimately had to write 2 pages worth of defense for a system, chances are that system isn't worth defending.

Here is why I wanted the Wii U:

- Has games that I want
- Doesn't hassle me

Here is why I am considering the Ps4:

- Cheaper price
- Has games I want
- Doesn't hassle me ( play mostly Single player so PS+ doesn't bother me)


I didn't need to go to lengths to defend the system because they don't need defending, they speak for themselves.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

It's so very refreshing to see these kind of threads that go against the myopic Internet masses and and comes with an original opinion - or rather - a well-founded and not overly biased and jaundiced opinion.

This current wave of, well, straight out hatred for the Xbox One is an overreaction, but it's still damaging. It's depressing seeing users on various forums being bullied just for admitting to planning to buy an Xbox. The gaming community is like a reactionary mob - one opinion and no original thinking. Right now the mob is trending to hatred of Microsoft, tomorrow it'll be trending to hatred of something else, perhaps even Sony when their next inevitably dick-move has happened.

What's worse is the way the parasitic game "journalism" takes advantage to this and writes headlines such as "How Sony defeated Microsoft - the final blow", designed to appeal to the mob (and get hits).

Just because an opinion is popular doesn't mean its unfounded. I liked the ps4 unveiling and it got me interested in the console. Others thought it was a failure because reasons. Did you see my opinion 5 months ago when that shit was going on? No because I don't usually like to start flame wars with people who don't care. Now here we are and people are singing the praises of Sony and I can hop out and join the circle jerk with them. Its not because the Internet suddenly persuaded me to hop on board the ps4 train. You're not smarter just because you think differently than a lot people and you can't dismiss other people's opinions because "that's what everyone is saying" because that's not a reason

It is a shame to see people get bullied for it though. I disapprove of supporting Microsoft's bull crap but I won't give people shit about it

 

[DocMcCray]

If you don't mind how the xbone is going to treat you, that is fine. I am going to go through your list and show how Microsoft can be friendlier and give their customer more choices.

1. Used games:
The blockade of selling used games is entirely up to the publisher, so are the fees. What Microsoft has done here is an official way of what already happened before. Remember the Online Passes? That's just like that. Nobody has has to use them. They can. Now, if EA would decide to be a dick and use it - what would happen? They'd do it on every platform. They won't be interested in holding up Sony's image of the messiah console, they want their money. So afaik, it doesn't matter. The possibilities are there on both platforms.

Leaving the decision up to a publisher is still making the decision possible. Microsoft is trying to push off any backlash they receive on to specific publishers. They are not innocent. Digital music, computer software and now apparently video games are just about the only things that go by the mantra "You buy it, but you still don't own it." It's a shitty customer service stance to have and I don't buy into it.

2. Game sharing:
After Sony's admittedly hilarious video about sharing games (which was also perceived as childish by some, but I think these little slaps are fun in a way) people have been saying that you won't be able to share games on the XBone. Well, yes and no. You can still share games, you can give your game to up to 10 of your friends without even having to hand them your disc, they'll just have it on their account and can easily download and play it right away. The only thing here is, you need to have them on your friends list for at least 30 days and you can only give them them every game once. But honestly, I don't think that's too limiting. I wouldn't hand out my games to people that I just met either. And if you know them for a while and they just made a new account, then 30 days isn't bad either. Apart from that, I've never seen anyone rent a game twice. If you like it after playing it, you usually just buy it.

I can already share my games. It is called giving my disc to a friend. I've even mailed some games to friends. While doing so digitally might be easier, right now I can do so unlimited amount of times without having any company track it.

3. 24h offline time:
This is a point I can't say much about. I can think of many reasons why they'd do such a thing, but there's nothing I really want to defend here. For me it's no problem at all, I like my games and consoles (and PC) for the online multiplayer, but I see why it would bother people. On the other hand, I'm sure this is nothing they couldn't change. It happened before, so you can hope. If you know you'll be offline for longer than a day, then definitely don't buy the XBone yet though.

This is not a good point in any way, shape or form. Any reason why there needs to be a "check-in" is for nefarious reasons. Just get rid of it.

4. Evil spying Kinect:
This wrong, just wrong. It has been confirmed that the Kinect can be turned off completely long ago, and you won't be spied.

No, it can't be completely turned off. Features can be turned off, but the Kinect will never fully be off. This is bad for two reasons.
1. Microsoft patented a way to count how many people, using the Kinect, are watching a movie. Too many people? Charge a fee for the extras.
2. MS has signed an agreement to provide the US government with data it collects through things such as the Kinect.
My 360 runs just fine without a Kinect attached. Why should I be forced to attach one?

5. Hardware:
The hardware isn't too different, really. You have about the same specs in both consoles, if I trust some of the other posts I read the XBone is slightly worse, but that's nothing you could notice. Apart from that, Microsoft has the whole cloud computing thing going, and while you might start laughing at me now, this is the future and even Sony knows it.

Cloud is overhyped and overrated. Remember OnLive?

6. Features:
The XBone is an entertainment device, and it's being marketed as such. Personally, I'd be happy if my device could do more, not mad as many others. I can use Skype, watch TV, play games, record, upload and stream... I'm happy about features. It works just like a small PC (I know, PC master race bla bla), and I think that this is good that way. I would like to see a unified experience over all devices one day.

When I want to watch TV, I turn on my tv. When I want to surf the internet, I use my laptop. When I want to play games, I turn on a gaming console. I don't need my gaming console to do anything else. Just play games. An "All-in-one" device is useful only if it allows you to get rid of or avoid buying the other devices.

7. Controller:

Don't really care. Next.

8. Design:

Function over form. Means I don't care what it looks like. Next.

9. Games/Exclusives:
This is anyone's game. If you like the PS4's exclusives, go buy that. If you like the XBone's games (of which there are more announced at the moment), go buy that.

Not a point for or against Xbone yet. Console exclusives have been around since consoles have existed. No big deal.

10. Price:
I know, I know, money doesn't grow on trees. However, the console price is essentially the same for both. What makes up the other 100 dollars are the extra things in the package, like the Kinect, that you'd have to purchase separately for the PS4. And Gold doesn't count as an argument either, Microsoft and Sony both do the paying for multiplayer now. And so far, Microsoft's servers seem more powerful (waiting for statement on Sony's side), and they've been that way in the past as well.

The boxed in Kinect would only be worthwhile if I or any other consumer wanted one versus needing to have it to make the console work. Live Gold does count. You have to pay to go multiplayer so it counts. PS Plus will be mandated for the PS4, but last I checked it is much cheaper.

I have mentioned before and I'll say it again. MS is way too overconfident and believe they will sell consoles simply because they are microsoft. Sony had the same overconfidence when the PS3 came out and they were forced to learn humility extremely quickly. The hard and fast rule for retail is don't shit on your customer. The customer never *EVER* has to accept it.

 

[Mobax]

I dunno mate. It all kind of reads like a medievel peasant trying to justify why it's alright for his landlord to rape his daughter.

Doesn't it all seem a bit restrictive to you? Like if you had a coke machine and a pepsi machine but every time you wanted a coke it made you fill out a form?

I'd be filling out a lot of forms then =p

OT: I agree that the hate for the x1 is overblown. I have owned and xbox and a 360, so naturally I figured I'd get an xbox one. However their initial unveiling turned me off, but as more information and clarification have emerged I am leaning back toward xbox. I understand the backlash towards to connectivity every 24hrs, and I hope microsoft will reconsider that. But for myself it won't be an issue. And some of their media integration aspects are appealing to me. Fortunately the new consoles don't release until November, so there is a lot of time to get more information, and make an informed purchase.