280°

Why everyone loves to hate the Xbox One

Xbox One has spawned a subculture of hate. With some expert help, Screen Robot posits ideas on why this is.

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screenrobot.com
Gazondaily4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

Well, it didn't exactly start off with the right footing.

Before its release, the 360 had a lack of new first party games and also a lot of Kinect shovelware.

Then rumours were abound of its media focused console. Sony have an impressive reveal and MS reveal their so-called 'games console' as anything but a games console.

Then the DRM fiasco which eclipsed the impressive showing of games.

Then the u-turns, mandatory Kinect, NSA fiasco, corporate jargon and disastrous PR.

Then the resolution problems.

All this plus Microsoft's image of the evil, money-grubbing company run by the Illuminati and you have the perfect storm.

GarrusVakarian4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

"Xbox One has spawned a subculture of hate"

No. MICROSOFT has spawned a subculture of hate. You can't hate a plastic box. It's not the console people hate or it's games....it's the company behind them. I don't get why people act all dumbfounded about why MS get so much hate, look at 2013 alone to see why, 2013 was disastrous for MS, it was just bad decision after bad decision. But others like myself would argue it goes further back than that....

In 2010 they abandoning the core gamer for casuals and families, focusing on Kinect titles instead of giving people quality exclusives. Add to that all the things you just listed......how can anyone blame people for not looking at MS in a positive light. No one is to blame for MS's hate but MS. MS in the original Xbox days and MS now are completely different companies. I wish they were more like the former.

TomShoe4176d ago

TL;DR Above:

Microsoft brought a lot of it on themselves. You can't say that it's not uncalled for.

Hatsune-Miku4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

Cite xbox's history and xbox ones initial announcement.

There is a running theme perpetuated by most sony nay sayers that n4g and most non-biased websites are rampantly filled with sony fanatics. It isnt true at all. Sony PlayStation is just the most rational choice for core gamers with its consumer friendly choices like being a powerful machine, worth the price of hardware, having the most criticality acclaimed exclusive games, has one of the best online service with psn which gives gamers access to a lot of free games

human beings seeks out to get the best of anything often times that they are able to attain unless there is something else they might like for their own personal reasons

MightyNoX4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

Abandoning Core gamers is fine and all, long as you're honest about it. However, they took a downright offensive approach and rather than say "Well, that's fine but we're after a different segment of the market." they attacked any one with different opinions. It was always OUR fault and not theirs.

People without internet : LOL! Why would I wanna live there? - Adam Orth

Remove the kinect : It can't be removed! Are you an engineer? - Major Nelson belittling Angry Joe

Power Gap: Any one wants to fall on their sword that the PS4 is more powerful than Xbox One, go ahead but you WILL be apologizing to us - Albert Penello

On moral issues of DRM: DRM wasn't wrong, we were just too advanced for the consumer - Albert Penello

See that? It was never a difference in strategy or being honest about what they were after. It was the consumer who was at fault. Microsoft was ENTITLED to the consumer's money and the consumer is always wrong, too backward, too hung up on things like morals and/or ethics (pfft!)

MSFT fostered this toxic environment.

BX814176d ago

@ tomshoe at this point it is uncalled for. They announced some dumb policies, changed them based on what the consumer wanted before release. Came out with great games straight out the gate. What's your complaint?

Pogmathoin4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

Lukas, you are right about what MS did, they definitely messed things up, despite clearly having some amazingly talented people working for them, but as is business at any company, the suits get too much control and think they can drip feed us anything. All have been guilty of this. I think though too, the hate for MS is a bandwagon culture as well. I see people commenting as well, wondering do you even know why are posting crap like this, is it just to fit in? The promotion of the hatred though, through sites like this is the worst though. I am upset over how MS launch X1, still got one though, along with PS4, because no matter what, there are still gamers/developers who simply love making great games, are they are on both. In the meantime, I hope MS turns back like the one that launched Xbox, and 360, especially in the Peter Moore days when it was all about the games and whatever gamers wanted.... Sony learned from PS3 launch, not to take us for granted any more, why will people not give MS the same chance? They are both big companies who at the end of the day are driven by profits.... PS4 will do great, but then the suits might like that profit and want to squeeze it.... that's how it is....

Kayant4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

@BX81

"hey announced some dumb policies, changed them based on what the consumer wanted before release. " - *You mean they where lacking in preorder numbers* - Fixed.

When they announced their policies in May after their reveal everyone was already giving their feedback. They said nothing at E3 waited two weeks after to finally address it and doing the 180s. It really had nothing to do with our voices their main drive to change was the initial pre-order numbers if not they would have said something before or addressed at E3 considering the uproar. It took them about month from the announcement for the change to happen.

OrangePowerz4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

@BX81

Did they really listen to the consumer? Before the.console reveal the rumours started about DRM and everybody was against it. They still didn't change their mind. They changed theit mind after pre orders started when they saw that they are miles away from the PS4 pre order numbers. They couldn't care less about what their consumers want (see not making a kinect less bundle).

At E3 they cancelled their interviews so they wouldn't need to answer questions and the onlu interview they gave was a train wreck telling people to buy a 360.

creatchee4176d ago

@MightyNoX

"Abandoning Core gamers is fine and all, long as you're honest about it."

Xbox One had a very good launch lineup and has a lot of potentially good games releasing in the next year.

The "not a gaming machine" "argument" needs to die in a fire.

Charybdis4176d ago

I find that the problem mostly stems from the policies Microsoft announced at unveiling of the xb1. They tried to strip away many options/choices of consumers and force requirements on consumers (internet requirement, kinect requirement). People don't like being told what to do.

ZodTheRipper4176d ago

I don't hate the Xbox, I hate Microsoft. Their business methods are far from what I call "acceptable". It's sad to see that for Microsoft only money talks in an industry that's built on creativity.

thehitman4176d ago

I actually dont hate MS, I do hate the xbox LOL... and I don't like their games or the lack thereof and hate their xbox policies. I love windows with the one and only exception of windows 8. I hate Internet Explorer, but I like MS Office. I like stuff that actually works and is good and worth the money. I dont care about the company behind it or their past. I use to be a Nintendo fanboy and I gave up on them after I bought the gamecube and it was baron compared to the N64. I am loyal to quality and quality only. The minute Sony starts showing they dont care about producing great games and goes the MS/Nintendo route I would stop supporting them too, but I doubt that will happen.

Bathyj4176d ago

Exactly. I don't hate Xbone. I hate Microsoft. I don't care about them because they don't care about me.

mewhy324176d ago

I have to agree with Lukas. ms brought this all on themselves. Don Mattrick did the damage and then left. How can we forget the "if you don't have internet the we have a great platform for you call xbox 360" interview with gametrailers? Yeah. Nuf said.

pompombrum4176d ago

I agree with most of the posters in this bit, it isn't the Xbox One I hate, it's Microsoft and I'm sorry but only the most ardent Microsoft fanboy can deny that the hatred is at least partially justified.

dedicatedtogamers4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

Nearly a year ago, I predicted this out in my blog http://n4g.com/user/blogpos...

They're the new media whipping boy. Playstation was the whipping boy for nearly all last gen. Now it's Xbox's turn. I think certain people are uncomfortable with that fact because they saw how long it lasted for PS and how viscious it was. Now that it's aimed at X1, it makes some people nervous, and it definitely makes people eager to just sweep stuff under the rug and say stuff like "They released good games. Why are people still complaining?" and "The hate needs to stop. They reversed the DRM"

MAULxx4176d ago

I could not have said it any better than that Lukas. Bubble for you.

+ Show (13) more repliesLast reply 4176d ago
Volkama4176d ago

Hate is such a strong word. And yet seemingly accurate, people get quite passionate in their vendettas around here.

It will all be forgotten in time. It wasn't that long ago that people loved to hate Sony, and they've gone on to become the peoples' champion.

Personally I don't get emotional about either company. If typical sci-fi programming is accurate then I think that lack of emotion makes me the bad guy.

DragonKnight4176d ago

It's never been forgotten. Have you not seen the SonyToo™ everywhere? The difference is that Sony worked hard over the years to change, they positioned themselves as the company for gamers first and that's what the PS4 is designed around.

Microsoft have always had the attitude that their vision is correct, everyone else just has to get used to it. They have no interest in consumer rights or being pro-consumer. Everything they have done will not be forgotten because the internet isn't a person, it doesn't lose its memory.

Volkama4176d ago

I've only seen that Sony Too nonsense from the likes of you and dedicatedtogamers. I figured it was just a deflection technique as that's how I've seen it employed.

You're right though, not everybody will literally forget the facts. The storm of negativity will calm and attitudes can change.

pyramidshead4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

I think people forget PlayStation was put through its paces in 2006, and it lasted a whole lot longer than what's already happening now for XB1. Sony took their sweet time to rectify all the missteps they did too, I believe 2 years, no? Hell they even removed features on hardware revisions!

In turn the 360 was a huge success for them(minus the RROD). I don't think xbox fanboys or Microsoft were prepared or even expecting this amount of backlash from the Xdivision's decisions so now a lot play the whole 'victim' card or just in general can't come to terms with Microsoft doing any bad seeing as they took care of them well for a full 8 year gen. Now it's reversed people have Stockholm Syndrome.

Fanboys need to suck it up and take it on the chin, it no doubt didn't affect any die hard xbox fan's decision on buying the box anyway.

alejandroelputo4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

@Septic

JAJAJA your comment was just perfect bro. Couldn't have said it better myself.

badboy7764176d ago

Because we get paid to hate them.

GarrusVakarian4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

Lol, i don't even need to work a real job, every pro-Sony comment and every anti-MS comment i make, Sony pay me £10!

That's a joke btw.....There are people on this site that genuinely believe that.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4176d ago
Hellsvacancy4176d ago

They do it to themselves, Microsft that is, it's no conspiracy that the way they handle business is tyrannical

green4176d ago

They did bring all this hate upon themselves. I have been impressed with how fast they reversed their policies and a lot of things that they have been saying.

But this year will be the year that they have to prove that they are indeed committed to providing great games and services to benefit their consumers.

TheKayle14176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

i mean numbers are not showing this

x360 sold as much as sony ps3...(they ended pretty much in pair) ...

xbox and x360 gained lots of market share from sony and nintendo in this two last gen and already in the second one the "king" ended pair with the "newbie"
the start of the xb1 sets for MS a record..in sales..(compared to the x360)

i think theres no hating...is just like said millions times...there are a lots of biased internet media and usually sony fonboys users are more louds

ps. clearly is true the drm (that also if u will not want will come soon also for sony with the ps now) ...been used againt ms so badly by ..that biased blogs/forums/sites/magazine and by every sony users

i know i will end with 800 disagree..on N4G...but the sales number are a true fact....and if u look just at this months u need to dont forget that ps3 been 8 millions consoles back the x360 for 6 years...so i dont think this two months mean a lots

just dont lie to urself ...and dont act always like a fanboy

pyramidshead4176d ago

"i think that theres no hating...is just like said millions times...there are a lots of biased internet media and usually sony fonboys users are more louds"

What ever pushes your narrative thekayle. I bet believing that helps you sleep at night.

SniperControl4176d ago

@Thekalye1

"just dont lie to urself ...and dont act always like a fanboy"

You my friend are one of the biggest fanboys on here.........lol

TheKayle14176d ago

i could agree with u sniper but this dosnt change the facts

Kayant4176d ago

@TheKayle1

"clearly is true the drm (that also if u will not want will come soon also for sony with the ps now) ...been used againt ms so badly by ..that biased blogs/forums/sites/magazine and by every sony users" - Right facts such as the above i guessing.

Please stop the BS when does MS's DRM policies become the same thing as a digital service that requires DRM like any most other DD services of it's type (netflix etc) and is entirely optional.

Baka-akaB4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

Well the facts is MS was always massively disliked in the PC World , managed to salvage some reputation with its three consoles , yet somehow kept repulsing some people with some practices during the life of the second console , lost some more goodwill with the lack of support of its second console in its final days , and had some more baffling decisions and shenanigans with its latest console .

Finally , you guys are a riot with your "n4g only hate" meme . It then quickly became "Neogaf is Sonygaf" . You are by admission giving those places so much power , and control over the whole of media-dom and internet press and blogging .

Good job fanboys , you made n4g and gaf your tyrant overlords oppressing your valiant microsoft white knight . LOOL .

PS : Oh yeah but i forgot "but but .. Sony is evil too "

CorndogBurglar4176d ago

"and if u look just at this months u need to dont forget that ps3 been 8 millions consoles back the x360 for 6 years"

Because this is horrible english, I'm assuming that you are saying that PS3 sales were behind on Xbox 360 sales for 6 years, and only just now caught up?

If that is what you are saying, its like you forget that the Xbox360 came out an entire YEAR before the PS3 did. If you don't think that effected their sales, then you are sorely mistaken. They had a lot of catching up to do.

pompombrum4176d ago (Edited 4176d ago )

It seems that ever single Xbox/MS whiteknight on here ignorantly blames Sony fanboys for everything remotely negative towards the Xbox or Microsoft. Open your eyes and smell the coffee, most people on here are gamers and Microsoft burned that bridge for many back with kinect.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4176d ago
Fishy Fingers4176d ago

Because they bought playstations?

They obviously haven't done themselves any favours, but when your a member of a site like this you see plenty of unjustified "hate", whether to justify they're choice or downplay others is regardless. They're lumps of plastic/silicone, there's no need for them to invoke such strong emotions.

Show all comments (77)
240°

‘I think Xbox hardware is dead’, says Microsoft gaming veteran

One of the founding members of the Xbox team has questioned Microsoft’s multiplatform gaming strategy, and said they believe the Xbox hardware business is effectively “dead"

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videogameschronicle.com
1d 3h ago Replies(3)
Goodguy011d 2h ago

Think that rumor that they'll still make a new console but at a profit at $1000 will be true though. The series consoles will remain their cheap alternative throughout next gen I would say. Keep in mind that game pass and pretty much going 3rd party is their main focus. They want to bring xbox everywhere.

1d 2h ago
GamerRN5h ago

If they don't maintain some kind of console presence, I think they will lose gamepass subscribers and just become a 3rd party publisher who eventually sells everything off

Cacabunga4h ago

Xbox games are releasing on all platforms. Who needs this hardware? PS or PC is all you need

Flewid6383h ago

I've never owned an Xbox in my life and I have GamePass.

thorstein2h ago

The only Xbox I owned was the 360. I have gamepass for my PC.

crazyCoconuts3h ago

Even if they could get it down to $800 for a box that can run with comparable performance to a PS6 (at, say $200 cheaper) the population of people willing to buy such a thing would be so limited.
It would be the worst of both worlds.

1d ago
Futureshark14h ago

A slow, painful and public death too.

Show all comments (60)
300°

Looming Xbox layoffs threaten Microsoft's reputation

Even as the company sets out to overhaul the very definition of Xbox, cuts at its studios risk creating a negative image reminiscent of EA's worst era

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gamesindustry.biz
Jingsing3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

I appreciate the article but this guy must be living in a delayed universe, The reputation was ruined 10+ years ago and hasn't recovered since. As such people have voted with their wallets and stopped buying Xbox products in large amounts.

YourMommySpoils2d ago

Their reputation was lost way before that. From the moment Microsoft said they entering the console business, we all knew it would be a downgrade.

Bathyj1d 10h ago (Edited 1d 10h ago )

That's not true at all the OG Xbox had drive and they had hunger and they wanted to accomplish something. It was a great console.

they didn't quite reach their goals and they gave up prematurely because they couldn't win. It was halfway through the Xbox 360 when kinect released and that was when they lost their way and we're a rudderless ship ever since

Agent751d 8h ago

In all fairness, Xbox had some great games with online play, Xbox 360 even better. Xbox consoles started to die with the Xbox One. Ditch consoles for the PC and PS.

YourMommySpoils1d ago

@Bathyj hard to compute ay. Xbox was never better than a PC and that's all they ever were. A demo box. Doesn't get more true than that.

3d ago Replies(1)
isarai3d ago

What reputation is this threatening exactly? 😂

Lightning773d ago

Rumors of Turn 10 being either shut down or hit with massive lay offs is on the horizon.

The issue is MS will do something right only to do something very, very wrong. And they do this what seems calculative at this point. Doesn't matter what they do the Investors and leadership want more and more money an endless bottomless pit of purr insatiable greed. A company that acts like it's broke or hurting is what really, really infuriates me. They've surpassed apple again well over 3 trillion who acts like they're a million dollar company is fk stupid. Pivots and changes for no reason and can't do things for more than a year with out a pivot or changing their metrics.

Christopher2d ago

That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest.

1Victor2d ago

@christopher: “ That would be really bad since Phil just hyped up next year as a big Forza year at Summer Game Fest”
The key word big can be ether good or bad 🤷🏿only time can tell

DarXyde2d ago

First Forza being generated entirely via AI?

If any company would do it, it'd be them.

Nacho_Z1d 16h ago

Isn't the point that it's irrelevant how profitable MS is, the suits have decided it's time that the Xbox division started making them money. Hence the layoffs, the pivots.

hennessey861d 11h ago

That wouldn't surprise me, as motorsport has been heading down hill since the great number 4. Where as playground have consistently put out better games. I think the two studios will be merged under playground games banner.

2d ago Replies(2)
Show all comments (63)
660°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

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theverge.com
6d ago Replies(1)
6d ago Replies(1)
Obscure_Observer6d ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

6d ago
pwnmaster30006d ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

6d ago
Obscure_Observer6d ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

blacktiger6d ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster30006d ago (Edited 6d ago )

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole6d ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 6d ago
Tacoboto6d ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing696d ago (Edited 6d ago )

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif6d ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing696d ago (Edited 6d ago )

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif6d ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 6d ago
-Foxtrot6d ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast6d ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts6d ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto6d ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 6d ago
Profchaos6d ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

Angyobangyo5d ago

" Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares. "

Just for the record, you clearly you do if you have to vent this hard.

TheExecutioner5d ago

Basically you think like kids when it come to choose between candy or chocolate.

Sonic18815d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Are you and Anast the same person?

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 5d ago
6d ago
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