What do all of these changes in the Xbox One really mean?

Since it’s announcement back in May, the Xbox One is hardly the same console it was. Is this a good or a bad thing? I honestly think that it could go both ways on this one. The Xbox One is/was/will be a fantastic console but why have they been changing their minds so much?

[golding89]

"real apology from Microsoft that will lessen the blow of the Xbox One to our wallets." lol

did you get an apology from sony for their crazy 600 bucks price tag of the ps3 at launch?

Sorry to be a party pooper but unfortunately that will never happen from either corporation..both MS and Sony.

@steves1126 really? when? i missed it.

@DirtyPimp the tech was already worth it..yea uh huh sure,, like EVERYONE wanted a blu-ray install in their ps3..What ever happened to just needing it to do gaming? I'm sure some people didn't care for blu-ray on ps3, they still got charged for it right?

[steves1126]

I think we did, but not til later on down the road lol.

@Golding I think Cerny did. In an interview about a month ago. But You know they recognized the problems with the PS3 and fixed and improved with the PS4.

The 360 was/is great. The Xbox One will be great too. But I agree with the author when he says Microsoft was testing new strategies to see what they can get away with.

[redwin]

MS always backs up its product. When 360 was plagued with the rrod they fixed it for free and free shipping, and they had a very good customer service, I believe MS wants to do the right thing. And yes, I'm one of the few that wants kinect, I like trying different things.

[mfletch512]

I think that next generation is an apology in itself. but the ps3 failed at launch.. Only when they did finally lower the price were they able to compete at all.

[NatureOfLogic]

It's means MS is out of touch with gamers.

[nosferatuzodd]

No it means microshaft has become a crack head that will do anything for a hit in there case to sell their console buy my console and I'll suck you're d@@k they have become desperate for a company with billions of dollars this is disgracefully why didn't they do these things in the first place now that everyone turn their backs on the them they're like wait we can change wait hell no

[user7402931]

no apology needed because the tech was actually worth it.

[PFFT]

A few years down the line NO doubt but at launch and 1 year after it wasnt.

[Lovable]

@golding

Blu ray was needed for gaming. Fun fact: PS4 and Xbone are using Blu ray.

[UnHoly_One]

Blu Ray isn't "needed" for gaming.

The 360 did just fine with DVD's, and both next gen consoles are going to be all about Day One Digital. (For me, anyway)

Come to think of it... I'm not sure if I will ever put a single disc into my XB1 or PS4.

[Lovable]

So technically, this is another issue of : Just because I don't use it, it's not needed.

@Sixzero below
Games are getting bigger and bigger and that's a fact. A bigger storage for the game is NEEDED. You can go back to floppy disc and put all your info on that, but you'll need tons of it. Same thing applies here.

[SixZeroFour]

Blu ray wasnt NEEDED, it was just HELPFUL because it took care of multiple discs (which isnt that big of a deal). Fun fact: blu ray discs are just a storage medium, it in no way shape or form does anything to change gameplay.

[dark_101]

UnHoly_One

Im sorry mate
but blue-ray was needed for this generation since
1. both consoles are offering full HD experience
2. There are some develops are demanding for big storage to develop with no limitations.. In fact MGS4 didn't release on XBox because the size of the game.

that one game that didn't come to the XBox because of size resection is the "best selling and top rated" ps3 game

[SixZeroFour]

lovable - using floppy disc is as your example of blurays being needed is illogical...2-4 dvds wasnt a big problem, and which ps3 game used up enough of a blurays space for it to be something of necessity rather than superfluity

[4Sh0w]

dark 101 what game are you talking about any ps3 game can be done on 360 in some cases you would just need to use a couple of dics, if anything last gen with so many games on one disc only proved bluray wasnt necessary at the most it was just nice to have. This gen it will prove its value because games are much bigger.

[Lovable]

@SixZeroFour

MGS4 is an example if you really want one. Guess your DVD can't handle the game.

[4Sh0w]

lol MGS4 has 90min cutscenes but avg about 20-22hrs of actual gameplay. 9hrs k of movies in the game. Skyrim offers 200+ hrs of gameplay and fits on 1 disc. http://www.gamegrep.com/new...

http://www.destructoid.com/...

-MGS4 was purposely designed with 9hrs of cutscenes to fill up the disc, hell I skipped most of them and because they dragged on and weren't necessary for me to enjoy the game, actually alot of people found them very annoying breaking up the gameplay so often and for so long, so its the worst example of why we needed bluray last gen, the actual game itself could easily fit on dvd. The fact that the only example you have is MGS4 which has alot of filler movies is very telling given the thousands of games available this gen. Don't take it as disrespect to Kojima or MGS4 at all, its a great game my point is it was purposely design to fill the bluray, none of its tecnical merits suggest it couldnt be done on dvd, naturally because bluray is essentially just a dvd with more space.

[Lovable]

@4Sh0w

Doesn't change the fact that Blu ray was the only thing holding it to get ported to the Xbox 360. Point still stands. No matter how much you spin, MGS4 is still one of the best GAME this gen.

[Rimeskeem]

actually the first thing they said at there announcement of the system was apologizing for he ps3 launch

[SixZeroFour]

so in essence, it took them 7 years to apologize

[Rimeskeem]

I dont think they needed to apologize because once all those exclusives came then the PS3 was amazing plus bluray

[N7Lukas]

Why do you feel the need to be so pro MS and bad mouth Sony in every comment, you don't owe them anything, while you're licking their boots, they are laughing at you and taking you're money. Just play games, no matter who's games they are, stop taking sides.

[TomShoe]

Before all the changes, MS had a vision about when the future of gaming would be all digital. While I didn't like the DRM and the no used games policy, I at least respected them for trying something different and sticking to their vision.

Then they completely abandoned it and now we're left with a console with very little direction and a waning fanbase outside of loyalists. Just 90 days of negative feedback was enough to spoil 5+ years of development, now we're stuck with an inferior alternative to the PS4.

They literally have no idea what they want to do with it, or what market they want to focus on.

Families: Wii U

Gamers: PS4

???: Xbox One

MS was too indecisive, and it cost them in the end.

[N7Lukas]

Pretty much the perfect comment right there. Bravo.

[Soldierone]

You mean standing behind Blu-ray and improving not only the game industry with it, but the movie industry AND computer industry wasn't enough?

[DARK WITNESS]

they have put themselves in this situation with their own greed. it's nobodies fault but theirs.

in my book all these changes are a good thing.

As someone who was an xbox fan right up to the point of the reveal, I really don't mind.

What is the point pretesting and complaining about all this crap, if they do the right thing and change it and we still give them shit for it.

There is still an element of trust that has been broken. we all know that ms has only done the 180's because of money, not because they were thinking of the fans or anything.

still for what it's worth it shows us one thing. consumers do have the power. If we stood up to the pocket rape a bit more maybe we would see better value returned for what we give to these corps.

anyway, I went from being 100% ps4 to being at least 70% ps4 and 30% xbo and I have had an xbox live subscription for 8 years running.

[TrollCraftTales]

I personally think Sony's apology for the PS3, is the PS4...

[golding89]

yea that took 7 years.. hop off MS case then

[RytGear]

No, their apology was the amazing exclusive titles that completely kicked the arse of MS, there is a very good reason the PS3 has beaten the Xbox in overall sales even without a years headstart.

[ThatCanadianGuy514]

It means MS have no idea what they're doing, and the console you pre-ordered, could be radically different come launch.

[Shadonic]

I agree though the biggest hit was there presentation.

[mfletch512]

Completely agree. And i find that terrifying!

[-Alpha]

If they kept all the policies, people complain that they are out of touch, arrogant, doomed to fail.

Now that they do make all these changes, people still complain that they don't know what they are doing.

Sounds like they are damned if they do, damned if they don't.

These changes are definitely not the ideal product MS may have wanted, but these changes are for the better. It shows that they DO know what they are doing, despite clearly making bad initial moves. Not knowing what they are doing would be going through with their bonehead decisions from E3.

[mfletch512]

They wouldnt be damned if they didnt DO in the first place. people arent complaining about the PS4 because they did everything right the 1st time. If Microsoft hadnt tried to implement the dumb policies and push us into something we didnt want in the beginning everyone would love it. That is their problem.

[jrbeerman11]

I'm skipping xbone for now, but I'll give them credit for recognizing that their consumer was not happy and are trying to make things right by them.

Most negative comments are from people who are going to hate on it no matter what.

I can still rattle off a bunch of things I don't like about m$ and Xbox in general, but giving people more options is not one of them.

[stage88]

Exactly. Well said DayZ

[ElementX]

Improved clock speed, Kinect not needed to be plugged in, self publishing, no constant connected needed... you think those are bad things? I pre-ordered as soon as it was possible to on Amazon, the changes they've made haven't really affected me either way however they are giving a majority of consumers exactly what they wanted by changing the less popular policies.

They haven't changed anything but policies/software, the hardware probably won't change.

[RytGear]

You cannot count 53Mhz as much on an improvement that can be used in an argument.

Just because it doesn't need to be plugged in does not mean that it isn't bringing the price up by $100. Why pay the extra for a peripheral that you may not even use or has to be plugged in?

[ElementX]

I was just mentioning the changes, not that they'd make any difference to the hardware or ordinance

[Transporter47]

No confidence on their own product.... now if they have no confidence on it why should I?

[GryestOfBluSkies]

i think it means that microsofts claims of drm, kinect etc being built into the architecture of the console were wildly exaggerated. they were hoping for their fans to blindly follow them into the next generation regardless of their policies.

its same thing that sony had hoped for in the ps2 to ps3 transition. consumers just dont work that way these days.

[badboy776]

Xbox One Sales must be terrible!

[PFFT]

Is it??? Last i heard they werent doing all that bad. Not great BUT not bad at all. I think your comment has to do more with Sony fanboy wishful thinking rather than actual facts.

[Chevalier]

Well based on presales I'd say no they aren't doing well especially comparing previous system launches. I work at EB games and Canada it's 4 to 1 for ps4 and allocations are so small and we still can't sell out of xbox one. There hasn't been a significant shift since they changed policies and did those 180's either.

[XisThatKid]

'The hell?

[XisThatKid]

It means that I cant trust a damn word MS says. for me anyway.

[Cmk0121]

only in gaming can pro consumer choices be made based off negative feedback be spun as negative...

[Elda]

It means the XBO is trying to be the PS4.

[cyclindk]

It would REALLY be good now if they sort of reintroduced the console. Not a full, "Oh we are sorry and here's the new deal," just come out and tell everybody what it is NOW at least. I know they said they weren't going to.

Stop saying what has changed and just say what it does currently as if that's the way it's always been.

Otherwise its so confusing... we had this function, but now we've altered it to this and augmented this slightly, this is removed totally, this feature is added and the options are there..

Just more confusing than it NEEDS to be, not incomprehensible, but needlessly botched in the clarity of message department.

[punisher99]

It means that microsoft is desperate right now. Heck, they are even being out pre ordered here in the U.S. by the PS4 atleast 2 to 1. I guarantee you they did not expect this. The reason why they reversed the Kinect policies is so that they can introduce a kinectless sku. And I would not be shocked at all if they introduce it this year or next with a 349 price tag.

[Soldierone]

I think if Microsoft's other products were doing fine, then they would have had balls to stand behind some of these ideas.

However their management was full of morons, so almost every other side of Microsoft is in a slump right now. They basically cleaned house and went "well lets not take chances with Xbox." They last thing they need is Xbox to slump too.

[GraveLord]

It means the Xbox One is a clusterfuck of a console with no vision, poor management and lack of identity.

[Jyndal]

Where is Bill Gates in all of this?

[ConwayGritty]

@blueray
The reason blueray is better is because they have better read speeds then dvds
Is certain circumstances and so when games with massive world's/stories will not need a 10 slot game case lol

[ElementX]

MS tried to do differently and people didn't like it. Or course they're going to do what consumers want, it would be suicide not to. They tried to bring new policies to the market and consumers voiced their opinions.

[Tornadobounce]

Keeping there customers happy. Back on par with the ps4 and back in the money.