Was “Xbox One” The Ideal Name For The Next Gen Console?

Jill Dembowski writes - Microsoft decided to go with a name that had some meaning behind it. Sony gave us no surprises and stuck to the basics when it came to naming their next generation console. The PS4 requires no tagline or explanation behind its meaning. It’s the 4th PlayStation. End of story. Sometimes plain and simple is the way to go when it comes to naming a product.

[DJMarty]

NO, as 4>1...............LOL

[KillrateOmega]

MS really set themselves up for that one :)

[Rushing_Punch]

You have to think that when they sat down to name the system, someone had to have asked about that. well, I hope someone did at least.

[Minato-Namikaze]

Its weird because they didnt name the Xbox 360 "Xbox 2" because the didnt want people to think that it was inferior to the PS3. (casuals think in strange ways some times) but they come out and name this one the Xbox One. This is what happens when all the gaming people that ran your gaminig division leave.

P.S. I was halfway hoping for the PS4 to be names "PS Muerte"

[darthv72]

is as much a concern as the meaning of it. There have been some platform names with little to no meaning and there have been others with a more interesting twist.

Genesis (my #1 favorite platform) has probably the best name and meaning behind it. It really was a new beginning for gaming back in the day. It was a whole new generation of 16bit and was such a night/day difference to what we played previously.

Sega's other offerings werent as creative. Saturn is a great system but its name wasnt that bold like sony took with the (then newcomer) Playstation. we all knew the meaning for PS was exactly as it sounded. Dreamcast was different but what did it really mean???

We know the meaning behind Xbox was that of their own Direct X that was created for PC games. the name started a brand that transcended to the xbox 360 meaning 360 degrees of entertainment. It just wasnt going to be as catchy if they went with 720 but I do think the Infinity was a better choice than "One".

So regardless of the meaning of One as being one platform for everything, they are gonna get the shiz for coming up with that instead of something straight and to the point of Xbox 3.

But to the point of the numerical designation like sony has been using. Perhaps they went a different route to individualize the platform. Rather than keep the trend of numbering the next system and thus keeping it in line with the stigma of the brand, MS wanted to intentionally cause there to be some question about the name.

i guess it doesnt matter for some as they wont buy into it no matter what its called. If you have to explain the meaning of the name then it isnt the platform for you (generally speaking).

Sony had the opportunity to break their own tradition by calling the PS4 something different. they could keep the PS in the name so it remains tied to the brand but so many are already familiar with the numbering that it would have thrown them off if they did change it to something else. Orbis really wasnt that bad of a concept name.

[Angeljuice]

@Darth
The genesis was only called that in America, most of the world referred to it as the 'megadrive'.

[darthv72]

yeah I know but Genesis had a better sound to it as well as meaning than Mega Drive.

those days it was common for the same product to be named differently throughout the world. I think it was the Saturn that was the first to be globally known by the same name.

It could have been Playstation, but both were revealed within the same year. From then on it became the thing to have the systems named the same around the world.

Another unique name for a system was the PC Engine. It was (to me anyway) a better name than the US version (Turbografx). It was a cool platform for its time as well.

[Wikkid666]

Or if we want to play childish games... Then being #1 > than being #4

[MidnytRain]

It makes just as much sense if you think about it...

[Blaze929]

Xbox 8 would have been a much better choice imo. Streamlines with Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 - then Xbox 8.

In fact, they should have just stuck with that and continued out from there with each new revision of Windows and Xbox.

[BlackTar187]

xbox 8 is 10x more confusing.

[Blaze929]

how? They go from 1 to 360 and that's somehow okay?

[BlackTar187]

well everyone knows 360 means full circle meaning all included item.

8 just sounds tacky and since the # is low enough it seems mis leading.

I DUNNO MAN :)

JK i liked infinity a bunch tbh. i don't really care the name of the consoles i just want great games.

[Sharius]

huh?

isn't xbone charming?

[DoctorXpro]

not as charming as you mum

[Anon1974]

Sometimes you can't beat the classics.

[HammadTheBeast]

your*

Otherwise, this has really backfired.

Don't talk to youR mum like that.

[agentxk]

I can't say I love the name, then again I think i hated 360 as well when it was first announced. It'll grow on me.

[Minato-Namikaze]

Like an unchecked fungus, lol

[MoonConquistador]

LOL, best analogy I've seen in weeks

[HammadTheBeast]

Last of Us really getting to people lol.

[Ilovetheps5]

My issue is I don't know what to now call the xbox one(?)

[golding89]

Not sure what's wrong with xbox one.. If they are going for the xbox as multimedia/gaming.. xbox one sounds understandable to me.. not that i like it. but it works for those who have common sense on the meaning of it.

The dumb ones won't or probably will not think so.

#dealwithit

[JeffGUNZ]

Exactly. The whole presence of the system is to unify everything in one box. I love the name.

[agentxk]

Yeah, like I said above, I think the next gen will end with us saying it is at least better than Wii-U. lol

[MoonConquistador]

I'm not convinced I would be saying that

[thehitman]

Even so there are better terms to use than "one". One seems like a horrible cop out in naming something especially when its not even you know THE one/first/original. Its a very bad name even for the direction they are taking their console. Shows a great lack of creativity on their part.

[pr0t0typeknuckles]

it makes since no one doubts that the name makes sense,but its a stupid name in general,you name your third console one,thats like ps4 being named psone,its stupid,microsft could have chosen a much better name,720,infinity,revolution,a ll would have been better than XBOXONE.

[golding89]

Yea now they could've have chosen a better name right?

Let's face it.. if the next xbox was called xbox 720, infinity, revolution..you ps fanboys would hate it still.

You guys just don't like the name "xbox". it has nothing to do with xbox one name.

Just hush up and #dealwithit.

[Parapraxis]

I don't think you understand where #dealwithit originated, if you did, you wouldn't be using it.

Also Xbox Infinity would have been a MUCH better name.

You have your head...stuck really far up...somewhere, if you think only PSfans think xbox one is a stupid name...i mean.... really stuck.

[headblackman]

no! Xbox fusion was the best because it was cool and it means the something that all in one means. its not too late to change it to Xbox fusion.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

The rumors were practically right about the console just being called Xbox. Just has a "one" at the end of it.

[CEOSteveBallmer]

Its an excellent name!! Don Mattrick outdid themselves with this!!

[Parapraxis]

No doubt Steve! and how about that kick-ass DRM!
REVOLUTIONARY to say the least!

[Qrphe]

I still like Xbox 361 more.

[Mr_Nuts]

The only thing I don't understand is that they said in the past something along the lines of "Xbox 3 would look downgraded compared to something called the PS4 since 4 is a higher number"

Then they do this...they should of just called it Xbox Three/Xbox 3

[punisher99]

Im sorry if i hurt people's feelings by saying this. But no. Its a stupid name. xbox 1? Xbox 1 came out already in 2001. When everybody was calling it 720 I thought that was a stupid name because you dont name a audio/video device after an inferior HD resolution. So I thought to myself, there is no way MS can come up with a worse name than 720. But little did I know, they did.

[darthv72]

The first xbox was called exactly that: Xbox.

We associate it as xbox 1 because of the 360 and that is the usual designation when referring to the platforms. i personally call it the "original xbox" but i do feel their choice of calling this one the xbox one is a bad call.

Xbox (brand) Infinite or Infinity (name). Sony has been using the Playstation as the brand and the number denotes the name or platform version. We associate the two as being PS1 and PS2 and PS3 just like how Nintendo is both the company name AND brand. in everything they make it is nintendo this or nintendo that.

Nintendo is more often used as the brand within the name. Like Nintendo entertainment system, Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo Wii. It isnt the same for "Sony Playstation 3" as it is more common to just call it Playstation 3 or PS3. Just as MS made "Xbox" to be self distinguishable, ie: Xbox 360 instead of Microsoft Xbox 360

[SonyWarrior]

sony THEMSELFS called the first playstation "Playstation one" http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T... so your wrong

[darthv72]

Technically you are correct but that branding was after the reveal of the PS2. Sony originally called the PS1 simply...PlayStation.

when they revealed there would be a PS2, they shrunk the size and rebranded it the PSOne to which it later became more commonly known as PS1.

I have all the PS models, original and slims.

[Gaming4Ever]

I would have preferred Crapbox One or XBoneU tbh...

[ginsunuva]

Just because HTC decided to do it...

[JohnDread]

The name of a console is a brand. It is something that is entirely based on business and marketing. Therefore it has to appeal to consumers. That's the whole point of a brand. Your name can be original and really witty and still fail to impress your consumer-base. We all have seen the big controversy around the name Xbox One. A considerable amount of gamers have clearly expressed their discontent about that name, so as of now, the name can not possibly called "ideal", as it failed its main purpose.
However, there still is the possibility that the general public changes its mind about it. It's not even out yet, and we have not even seen half of what the branding department has in mind for Xbox One.

[MasterCornholio]

They could have called it the XBOX TV instead of the Xbox One.

Edit: XBOX TV does sound pretty good though because it suggests a combination of video games and television.

[nick309]

The next xbox after 1 will be calledx360

[sephiroth420]

i think its a good name, it got the point across that it can pretty much control everything to do with the tv,

[MoonConquistador]

And their consumers/user base.

Its all about the controlling things

[IcicleTrepan]

It's not the greatest name but a lot of people don't seem to grasp the concept that there's a difference between 1 and 'One'. There's a subtle difference in meaning. That's why that 4>1 is idiotic. I agree that calling it the Xbox One was not the best choice, however 4>1 shows that you don't even understand the name nor the subtleties of the English language. If you don't understand the difference, you need to go back to school.

[MoonConquistador]

Educate us then rather than patronise. One is the way you would write the number 1 in text format. Nothing more.

If you honestly believe the s#@* your shovelling about implied meanings then MS have done their job on you already.

[Plagasx]

They should have called the Xbox None. get it? haha, because of games, it has none.

[LogicStomper]

*awkward silence*

[SignifiedSix91]

What a waste of a bubble for such a fail comment.

We'll see who has more games come E3.

MS did it last gen, and they'll do it again this gen.

Prepare to be overwhelmed, kid.

[Tzuno]

name is good what they want to do with it is bad.

[MoonConquistador]

Can we stop reading too much into what its called. Can you tell me one console that failed primarily down to its name?

What's in the console, what user experiences you can get from it, software support, quality, price and marketing are all the things you base an opinion of a console on, not its name.

Oh, and the business strategies behind the manufacturer sway me a little too

[denawayne]

I agree. Can you say Wii?

[SOULJER]

It was as smart as naming your game system little penis. I don't know what the hell Nintendo or Microsoft was thinking.

[Dragonuk1]

i like X3

[Angeljuice]

I think the name is the last of their worries!

[SpinalRemains]

The Xbox feces is definitely more apropos.

This machine is the epitome of everything that is wrong with the industry.

[horndog]

Its just a name. Doesnt affect gameplay or games in anyway or matter so who cares.

[strigoi814]

they are being infected by the fungus while they were thinking of the name