Xbox One: Five Ways It Changed Gaming

As the Xbox One nears the end of its run, HD Report looks back on its greatest contributions to gaming.

[Eonjay]

Everything on this list was done before. You just have to buy the idea that it only matters when Xbox does it.

[chrisx]

you're right. "changed gaming" lol. writer must have started gaming just this gen.

[trooper_]

Pretty much.

[NeoGamer232]

True, but XB made these things more mainstream.

1. BC has been done many times before. But because they are doing this through software now, it will be easier to bring it forward to future consoles. In the past BC was done mostly through hardware design.
2. Game Pass has been a thing from EA Access and Streaming from Sony for a while. But, again MS is making it mainstream and wanted by many.
3. Hardcore appeal for hardware. Consoles tended not to design for hardcore gamers in the past. So, by putting out the elite control and putting very high end specs into its mid-gen console they are again taking this more mainstream.
4. Mods. Agreed this is nothing new, and I don't think it has become mainstream yet.
5. Cross play has existed for a while but not cross play across consoles. So it is somewhat new and again though MS is trying to push this more to the mainstream.

[DialgaMarine]

Xbox didn’t make BC mainstream; they simply over-marketed the feature as a means to cover up the fact that their software output has been utter garbage. The thing about BC is it’s not meant to be a defining feature and reason to buy new hardware; only a supplementary feature to having new games that actually push new hardware.

[BehindTheRows]

1. BC was around long before XB1 and it didn't make it mainstream at all. Thank PlayStation for that.
2. Game Pass hasn't changed gaming. It is an addition to Xbox.
3. Hardcore Appeal for hardware? Now that's simply reaching.
4. Mods. Nope, Xbox didn't make this mainstream in the slightest. Not only were they around long before the X1 (let's not forget about UTIII on PS3), Mods still aren't a standard on consoles. They are what they've always been - a nice little addition to a handful of console games.
5. Crossplay isn't "mainstream" nor was it a game changer pioneered by Xbox.

[DialgaMarine]

Xbox fans live in a perpetual 1984 version of gaming.

[Chris12]

and Sony fans live in Xbox articles. Go figure.

[NeoGamer232]

LOL. XB did not exist in the 80's.

I had a Colecovision in 1984.

[DialgaMarine]

NeoGamer232, don’t read too many books I take it? Big Brother also didn’t exist in 1903 to successfully invent the aeroplane, but that is the history your government wants you to know.

[TheCommentator]

No, you don't have to buy anything because it only matters when it's done right. If things only matter when they're done, then why do people say MS has no games? Double standard much? At any rate, back on topic:

- BC was thought to have been impossible for either PS4 or XB1 to accomplish because of their architectures. Not only can Xbox do it, the games can be improved in the process. This innovation also paved the way for FC in the 1X, Scarlet, etc., and doing away with generational consoles.
- Game Pass is done right too. No need to be online when you play, same day 1st party releases, and you get the full game.
- The "hardcore gamers" argument is a little weak, TBH. Honestly, MS also tried to cater to "everyone" at the beginning with the mandatory inclusion of the Kinect. As a personal preference, I do think MS has the best controller design and the Elite is definitely for the hardcore, and I can't stand motion control gaming, so it's all good to me.
- Mods on consoles is fairly new, but again MS is doing things right with the recent mention of Xbox Community Content, supposedly arriving thus summer. It's a toolset for developers that does all the work setting up the foundation for mod support, allowing devs to focus on gaming instead of how to create and share content.
- Crossplay with consoles is something that MS is pioneering. Everyone sees it as a hot topic of discussion these days, from Nintendo, to 3rd parties, to the community of gamers (Sony is even commenting on it, just not in the right way). It's obvious that if it had been done right before then it would no longer be a topic of discussion, but as it stands right now MS is once again changing the gaming landscape.

Xbox Community Content: https://m.windowscentral.co...

[SpaceRanger]

Literally each thing on that list has been done in the gaming industry. No innovative ways of gaming from the Xbox One this generation besides the Kinect...which we all know how that went.

[The_Jackel]

kinect just an improved ps eye camera from the ps2 days

[FallenAngel1984]

Before I even clicked on the link, I knew this article would be effortless to take apart.

“After all, it’s not like Nintendo is going to start letting people play their classic games without charging them some ridiculous fee.”

You do know 3DS & Wii U offer more extensive backwards compatibility than Xbox One right? They both did so day one, but I guess you’re going to ignore that to make a case for XO.

“3. Xbox One Catered to Hardcore Gamers”

The author lists the Xbox Elite Controller & the Xbox One X. This is completely laughable as reasons that Xbox One somehow pioneered catering to the hardcore market. Scuf controllers existed since 2010 making controllers like the Elite for Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3. Iterative dedicated platforms such as New 3DS & PS4 Pro came out before XOX.

“4. Xbox One Helped Bring Mods to Console Gaming”

You can thank PlayStation 3 for doing so in 2007 with Unreal Tournament 3. For added irony the Xbox 360 version of the game doesn’t feature mod support.

“5. It Showed Us the Value of Cross-Play”

Sony was offering cross platform play for a far longer time than when Microsoft finally decided to latter join in.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/...

Like I said an effortless task dismantling the author’s points.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Lol! I was going to mention unreal tournament as well.

This is one of those :

REVISIONIST HISTORY TO MAKE MICROSOFT LOOK GOOD ARTICLES.

Happens after every E3 where the articles pile up dicrediting Sony's games like Detroit that released prior to E3,articles to big up what Microsoft is doing even if it's only features but not GAMES. To lead into the fall to help their sales numbers where Microsoft looks for most of their sales. These supposed journalists do this every year.

We know why Sony doesn't do BC after changing to X86 and the fact most don't use it. We know Sony does cross play and has more games that do it. It's just not with their main competitors. We know Sony does game streaming but the article tries to discredit it by saying it's expensive to big up Microsoft. And we know Sony caters to core gamers. It's why they are beating Microsoft thoroughly.

It's a shill article. Nothing more.

[Automatic79]

I love N4G but it is the same people day in and day out that post negative comments about Xbox when they don't own one.

I agree with the article Xbox Team has made so many quality of life changes and improvements on Xbox that I truly appreciate the console. Glad they are now putting that same effort into first party. Keep up the good work Team Xbox.

[BiggerBoss]

You can "agree" all you want, but it's a literal fact that Xbox did not pioneer ANY of these things. The entire article is based on a false premise.

[trooper_]

Guess what?

We live in a society where people have a right to express their views and not agree with things.

You don't like it?

Too bad.

Stop with your victim/persecuting mentality already. It's absolutely pitiful at this point.

[Kiwi66]

Hope that philosophy applies to everyone

[Rude-ro]

I’ve owned every Xbox till the one x...
By doing so, I can say that Microsoft’s media pr is far outweighed by the reality that either their media partners, or die hard media friends, try spread more misinformation or straight fluffing than anything else.
If you compare missteps.. one company always gets excuses while the other gets massacred.
360 rrod should have been a field day with the media for the fact Microsoft gave a 3 year warranty just to avoid a recall per the courts.. but the news was how kind Microsoft was to give the warranty when they only had two options. Offer it or recall.

Kinect falsely demo-ed to sell. Not a peep.
Lack of any new AAA software for 8 years now.. being a gaming console, you would think this would make noise... kind of like how Sony gets destroyed even when they show off 4 new ips. Then it’s “presentation” that was the issue.
Cloud gaming? Another false pr move trying to solicit sales.
The fact Microsoft is all about crossplay while Sony has over 20 more titles available with cross play.
Than it changed to cross save information ignoring the fact that 98% of Microsoft games can only do so if you purchased the Xbox version for cross play or play anywhere with pc.
Sony got flak for releasing the pro for not being as strong as Microsoft’s second upgraded version of their Xbox one. Not one, but two upgrades.
Also, like commented before me as well... Microsoft has not led to said achievements.

So there is “positive” news, but then there is straight up misinformation to create a false narrative such as this piece.

[Monster_Tard]

Id agree that on some Xbox articles there is unwarranted negativity in comment section, but they are right to criticize this one, everything on this list has been done well before Xbox did it.

[King_Lothric]

Very low quality article with the objective of ignoring reality and pretend Xbox is the author of the innovation made by others.

Don't waste your click.

[terstomp]

Microsoft PR department is working over time by paying for these Xbox-friendly puff pieces to get more to buy Xbox.

[l33t_haxx0r]

1. Ability to shut down game developers faster.
2. Ability to use the word 'exclusive' in many more ways.
3. Ability to invest $1 billion into game development and not see any results.
4. Ability to form a magical cloud that will make their console 4x more powerful.
5. Ability to claim cross play is something that matters.

[CP_Company]

6. people has to Pay for FREE to play games.
7. VR
8. Xbox one Kinect
9. gamers don't want don't care 60fps.
10. there are many more how they change or changing :D

[DialgaMarine]

#1: GBC, GBA, DS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U, PS2, PS Vita, and PS3 all say hi.

2: PS Now and Steam say hi

3: Yes, because no other console has catered to gamers before... Totally...

4: PS3 + Linux support says hi

5: PS2 + FFXI/ FFXII hi. We haven’t seen the effects of cross play yet, definitely no proof that it’ll somehow re-shape the console gaming space. If MS were to somehow take the lead in the market and gain 10’s of millions more XBL gold subs in markets outside the US, and be the multiplat console of choice for the majority of gamers, you can bet damn well this whole cross play demand is going to immediately die out.

This article just screams that the author’s bio should write “I started gaming when my mom bought me a Xbox 360, with a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.”

[The_Jackel]

LMFAO i think Matthew Byrd needs a new job if this is the false information he is going to give out

[RosweeSon]

Delays, cancellations, failed promises, BC and crossplay to look good did I miss anything

[nommers]

If by contribution you mean reaching to put the whole game industry in a dismantled state, then yes. Never heard of a console even trying such a thing before, so points for innovation right there.

[NeoXMahi]

Um, it didn't except consumers FINALLY coming to a realization of how messed up Microsoft really are. I guess we can thank Microsoft for Microtransactions, Microsoft and EA get along really well, I wonder why?

[xPaYDaYx]

1. It show how much gamers hate the thought of always being online.
2. It displayed the potential of gaming passes (rental services).
3. Acted as a fantastic stepping stool for Sony.
4. Showed how little gamers cared about cameras and TV.
5. Showed everyone what a VCR in 2013 looked like.

[DivineAssault]

Really? These werent ways xbox did anything because it has been done by others before. Prove me wrong