The
Xbox One – "Go Home" you´re drunk
On a bright sunny day in
the spring of 2013 a group of gaming journalist came to a press event
for the reveal of the next Xbox1.
What they saw was a new home entrainment system with the ability to
play video games on a hardware which seems to be comparable to a
medium spec PC from the year 2013. The last 20min of the one hour
presentation they finally told us about games. They started with EA
Sport games, but then they showed us a halo tv series. Finally they
came out with next “Call of Duty”. “Call of Duty: Ghosts”2
is not a Xbox exclusive nor is it running on a new engine, it´s
still the same engine they started using since Call of Duty 2
(2005)3.
The Q&A that followed and the answers given via twitter and other social media
were so contradictory that no one could figure out the details on the
subjects of "used games","always online" and
"always on". It got so bad that they had to block comments
on their youtube page4.
It didn´t even take a day that console hardcore gamers got around to
list all the features that the Xbox might have5.
Some were furious then others about the way Microsoft was going with
this console6.
Microsoft seemed to be
surprised not only by the huge negative responds by the fans but also
their stock did drop and Sony´s did rise7.
After the first days of shock, the fans did calm down but they were still
bitter.
Microsoft still would have
the advantage to because they are scheduled first at the E3 and could
clarify all details on the pressing matters. The hardcore gamers
hoped that their reaction could convince Microsoft that they´ll
step back from "used games ban" "always on" and
"always online" thoughts. They hoped Microsoft would start
fresh with the hardcore gamers.
Let us go back in time for
a moment to try to understand why Microsoft was so focused on gaming-entrainment system presentation and Sony showed of a gaming console
with social features.
The Xbox 360, the
predecessor of the Xbox One (i know it is a confusing naming scheme)
was very game centric and won the first half of the so console war
between Sony and Microsoft.
The second half was won by
Sony because on the one hand they focused on a competent peripheral,
the Sony Move, to introduce dancing and sports games, like the Wii
did, to their system. On the other hand Playstation exclusives were some of the best
games of that generation. With games like “Uncharted” Series or
“The Last of Us” as well as indie games like “Journey” they
had critically acclaimed masterpieces8
and system sellers. The other factors that helped Sony pass Microsoft
to the finish line was on the one side the service PlayStation Plus.
This is a optional service for the Playstation 3 where the comsumer has to pay
a subscription fee which allows him to play many older titles for free
and to get many titles with a huge discount9.
On the other hand
Microsoft stopped delivering real exclusives or new exclusives hardcore game IPs to
the Xbox 360 and focused on the big bet “The Kinnect” and older franchises like "Gears of War" and "Halo". The games sold very well, but the kinect was a surprising finacial
hit which sold more units then the gamecube in just over a year
according to them.10
Now we know why they were
so heavy focused on the kinect 2. The fact that kinect1 did not function at
all with hardcore games like “Steel Battalion”11
was not addressed, they just said that the new one would work better under sub
optimal conditions. Kinect1 strengths were in dancing, singing or
party games like Dance Central or Happy Action Theater. So their big
bet on casual games paid of.
Sony on the other hand saw
that their game exclusives sold their console in the end.
Here we have two companies
at the same point of time with two different mindsets to create
their next generation consoles. Both following their latest insights.
Evoking two different reactions from hardcore gamers at the
presentation of their console.
If Microsoft did or did
not know that their opponent has a stronger system as they thought
can not be proven 12.
The fact they had to push their press event back a month to respond
to Sony presentation of the PlayStation4 was curious.13
It seemed even more
strange that they scheduled the event early morning at 10 am PST. In
Europe though the event would air at around 8pm CEST, prime time territory. To Microsofts credit
they were at least thinking globally, knowing that the Xbox 360 was
more prominent in the US then in Europe14.
Problem though that because of the strange time in the US only
hardcore fans followed the event live and in Europe casuals were not
paying attention, because,ironically, they were busy watch TV.
Who at Microsoft thought
this was a great idea? The casuals only come when they seen it on TV
and can buy or at least preorder the console. All Microsoft were left
with was their main audience: the hardcore gamers. If Microsoft likse it or
not, those are the people who want a console because of games, not
TV-features.
As said, they had all the
options to come out blazing with awesome hardcore games and verify
that none of the feared features were on supported by their system or
to a bare minimum amount.
Yet again some one at
Microsoft, probably the same guy who was responsible for the press
event let us call him “Bill”, thought it was smart to cancel the
E3 Post-Press Conference Roundtable15.
Many gamers asked themselves what the reason would be for that. The
most likely options were a) either they would clarify everything on
stage or b)they were about put out a statement before the event to
avoid yet again contradictory statements at the round table.
“Bill”
did not disappoint and did put a a statement16. Sadly it pretty much for
filled every nightmare of a gamer. It was going to be always online
and always on. Even though now Microsoft said that through software you can turn the kinect of, they also stated that the only voice command it
would now react to was “xbox on”, which still means it is always
on and listening to you. As feared by many, you will not be
able to use the Xbox without the Kinect plugged in. On the “used
games” topic they clarified that just in certain circumstances you
will be able to lend your games. Only a maximum 10 people are able
to play games from your account and just one console can be active
playing your games from your account at a time. It all seems means Microsoft is trying their best to stop any game trading. Gamers
now only be acquiring a license, much like steam on the PC, and not a
copy of the game it self. They also state that you will be able to
return your copy to certain retailers, which companies exactly are
not mentioned. You can only gift your copy once to another friend
whose been at least 30 days on your friends list. The 30 day factor
aswell as the statement that these features will not be ready at launch and
must be horrifying to companies like GameStop17
and be pleasing to publishers like EA, because only them and
Microsoft get the piece of the pie and no one else for at least until
the end of the holiday season 2013-2014.
Of course Microsoft also
mentioned that pretty much all these features can be used by
publishers but are not a requirement. That could be theoretically at
least good for indie game developers, who don´t have to please some
stock owner, right? Not really, since Microsoft will not change their
policy on publishing and there will be no option to self publishing. Microsoft does not seem to care that it has been confirmed that self publishing on the Playstation 4 and the WiiU will be possible.1819
It seems ancient that
Microsoft still holds on the monthly fee for Xbox Live, a service
which brings no benefits to the gamers and just allows them to use
their online platform. Xbox Live
fee is very profitable. So why should Microsoft kill one of their few
golden gooses?20 Sony does not charge for their equivalent service on the PS3 nor will be on the PS4.
As a German I am happy
that this console might not even reach our county or at least in this
form. It is on the wrong side of our right of privacy. Funny
enough that Microsoft is running a huge advertisement campaign here
in Berlin for all Microsoft Products, like Microsoft Explorer,
Windows Phone and Microsoft Surface. All these products are selling
very bad and/or are overpriced. The most contradictory to the privacy
settings of the Xbox is the advertisement of Windows Outlook with the
big slogan “the safety of your privacy is our top priority”21.
Funny and sad at the same time.
The Xbox One has been
until now an utterly disaster. But why am I, as firstly a PC gamer and
secondly a PlayStation gamer, concerned? The fear that Microsoft comes
with new and grand Games at the E3 which dominates the PlayStation 4
launch line up and at comparable price as the PS4. This could push
most gamers or too many towards the Xbox One. If this would be the
case publishers would see this model as an success and push us, the
Pc gamers, more and more towards always online and account exclusives
titles with lots of DRM without the benefits that we are now getting,
like huge discounts during sales or humble bundles.
Le´ts see what Microsoft does next. I would not be shocked if we don´t see the same launch
problems á la Sim City (2013) or Diablo3. Xbox One is so full of it self that it is even drunk and toxic to all gamers.
"Xbox go home"-please
Sources (7th June 2013) :
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