official Xbox: A New Generation Revealed

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Kotaku Poll - http://kotaku.com/what-did-you-think-of-the-xbox-one-reveal-509195085

How would you rate the Xbox one event? 1 being the bad and 10 being great.

1 31.32% (8,257 votes)

2 11.09% (2,925 votes)

3 16.11% (4,247 votes)

4 10.17% (2,681 votes)

5 9.84% (2,593 votes)

6 4.91% (1,294 votes)

7 5.45% (1,437 votes)

8 5.15% (1,358 votes)

9 2.04% (539 votes)

10 4% (1,034 votes)

Total Votes: 26,365

Which console(s) are you looking to buy or not buy?

PlayStation 4 63.69% (17,811 votes)

Xbox One 12.73% (3,561 votes)

Neither 19.67% (5,500 votes)

Both 3.91% (1,092 votes)

Total Votes: 27,964

Gamespots Twitter battle - http://uk.gamespot.com/twitter-battle/xbox-vs-ps4/

(old screencap its 89% vs 11% now)

[threetonesun]

It looks like a lot of vents for cooling. I guess they needed a lot but wanted to break it up as well. With that much venting it better run silent.

I doubt it, unless the thing has four 120mm fans on the top...

The 360 Slim has vents all over it as well, which lead to nowhere. It's a thing MS likes, for some reason.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

They were already quoted for saying something along the lines that it is 4x quieter than the 360

You're creating new threads ever few seconds pointing out rumors, opinions and polls as if they were fact and you have no idea what you're talking about but still going on and on about something you will apparently never use

stop.. save yourself. enjoy what you choose to enjoy, what you're doing is a huge waste of time and energy.

But all the media, game journalists and news websites are allowed to join in and I'm not? But I wanna have my fun toooooo!

Here's Jim Sterlings latest video on the conference - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7358-Xbox-One-out-of-Ten

[M_Lyons10]

I thought Microsoft really flubbed this one. I bought the original XBox and the 360 and was VERY excited about the next console (I was already ready to buy the thing). But there were some REALLY serious miss-steps with this console. I think it would be unfair to say that the PS4 reveal beat Microsoft (Because it was so horrendous), but considering Sony didn't even show a console, this was FAR too close...

It was a very disappointing reveal.

[BajiRav]

I thought Microsoft really flubbed this one. I bought the original XBox and the 360 and was VERY excited about the next console (I was already ready to buy the thing). But there were some REALLY serious miss-steps with this console. I think it would be unfair to say that the PS4 reveal beat Microsoft (Because it was so horrendous), but considering Sony didn't even show a console, this was FAR too close...

It was a very disappointing reveal.

QFT!

Their show reminds me of Sony of pre-PS3, arrogant and stupid. It wasn't until like 27 or so mins when they started talking about games and even then it was some emo athletes talking about their bodies. They have 8 new IPs - it wouldn't have hurt to show+play at least one.

The TV stuff that took almost half of the entire reveal could have been kept for a different occasion. :/

[CentralDogma]

What I don?t understand is why Microsoft is being so cagey about details. I mean I understand the press conference, they only had an hour and it was being televised. They were appealing to ?wide? audience. Clearly not the place to get into technical and policy details.

But why did they waste the developer panel they had after the conference as a scripted PR session. And continue dodging details with subsequent interviews. Answers about licensing restrictions, internet requirements, backwards compatibility, and service requirements have been noncommittal and, at times, conflicting.

Now keep in mind the context, this is 3 months after Sony?s reveal. 3 months of intense rumors about the next Xbox. When Microsoft holds a press conference, it expected that these rumors to be put to rest. To not do so, to remain tight lipped on details, is to invite the rumors and allow the media to construct its own narrative. Even mainstream news outlets are starting to report on ?glaring concerns about Xbox One?.

It doesn?t matter if E3 is in 3 more weeks. That?s three weeks of the media creating the story.

This is pretty abysmal PR. But I shudder to think of the possibility for the next Xbox if Microsoft really doesn?t have the answers to these fundamental questions. If 6 months before the release of their next major console, they really don?t know the details of how used games will work, this is shaping up to be quite a train wreck.

[M_Lyons10]

QFT!

Their show reminds me of Sony of pre-PS3, arrogant and stupid. It wasn't until like 27 or so mins when they started talking about games and even then it was some emo athletes talking about their bodies. They have 8 new IPs - it wouldn't have hurt to show+play at least one.

The TV stuff that took almost half of the entire reveal could have been kept for a different occasion. :/

Agreed. And not only that, but the miss-steps... The bizarre requirement to install every game (And then including only a 500 GB HD that was non-upgradeable {And I'm sorry, but adding an external hard drive is not a sufficient option}). So, they want us to basically run EVERYTHING off of the hard drive (Our games, recorded tv shows, etc) but give us a cap that we will have no problem hitting?

App snapping that requires you to use an app on your mobile phone to type in searches and such? Why not just do the search on your phone? It seems like an added step that is unnecessary (And likely required a tremendous amount of development time that could have been spent on something else).

Talk about their investment into XBox Live, but nothing specific about how that impacts the gamers... I'm assuming much of that investment was Azure services that will allow processing in the cloud for some of these games, so that's cool. But that's an assumption. If true, that should have been talked about...

And backwards compatibility is an important feature for a new console anymore. When you buy a new console and you have 1 or 2 games worth owning for it, versus being able to play the games you already have... I know it's far from a simple thing to do, but it's important early on.

This ridiculous dynamic for trading in or buying a used game. I could understand having to pay for the online component, that's fine, but if they hadn't made the bizarre choice of requiring you to install the game in the first place, you wouldn't be able to play it without the disc, hence they wouldn't need all of these absurd controls in place...

The reliance on Kinect... What about people that don't care for Kinect or want to pull screens around? I'm all for trying it out, I'm not all anti-Kinect, but it feels like embracing a gimick rather than do what's best for the gamers...

Not to mention that the console again, looks massive... I understand that all of those components take up space. LOL But by now they should be able to trim down these consoles some... At the very least it didn't need to look like a VCR... LOL

I don't mean to nitpick here, but I cannot fathom what they were thinking with this console at all.

[George P Global Moderator]

What I don?t understand is why Microsoft is being so cagey about details. I mean I understand the press conference, they only had an hour and it was being televised. They were appealing to ?wide? audience. Clearly not the place to get into technical and policy details.

But why did they waste the developer panel they had after the conference as a scripted PR session. And continue dodging details with subsequent interviews. Answers about licensing restrictions, internet requirements, backwards compatibility, and service requirements have been noncommittal and, at times, conflicting.

Now keep in mind the context, this is 3 months after Sony?s reveal. 3 months of intense rumors about the next Xbox. When Microsoft holds a press conference, it expected that these rumors to be put to rest. To not do so, to remain tight lipped on details, is to invite the rumors and allow the media to construct its own narrative. Even mainstream news outlets are starting to report on ?glaring concerns about Xbox One?.

It doesn?t matter if E3 is in 3 more weeks. That?s three weeks of the media creating the story.

This is pretty abysmal PR. But I shudder to think of the possibility for the next Xbox if Microsoft really doesn?t have the answers to these fundamental questions. If 6 months before the release of their next major console, they really don?t know the details of how used games will work, this is shaping up to be quite a train wreck.

Not everything is final yet, Major Nelson tweeted that policies aren't final yet. Both of these systems are months away from hitting retail and while you can't really change hardware now you can do anything on the software side.

[spudtrooper]

But all the media, game journalists and news websites are allowed to join in and I'm not? But I wanna have my fun toooooo!

Here's Jim Sterlings latest video on the conference - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7358-Xbox-One-out-of-Ten

dude, at least the journalists have a clue what they're talking about, you're just posting every rumor you can find and fighting fights you don't even have the answers to.. its hilarious. i'm having fun watching you go crazy trying to keep up with the hatorade

[M_Lyons10]

What I don?t understand is why Microsoft is being so cagey about details. I mean I understand the press conference, they only had an hour and it was being televised. They were appealing to ?wide? audience. Clearly not the place to get into technical and policy details.

But why did they waste the developer panel they had after the conference as a scripted PR session. And continue dodging details with subsequent interviews. Answers about licensing restrictions, internet requirements, backwards compatibility, and service requirements have been noncommittal and, at times, conflicting.

Now keep in mind the context, this is 3 months after Sony?s reveal. 3 months of intense rumors about the next Xbox. When Microsoft holds a press conference, it expected that these rumors to be put to rest. To not do so, to remain tight lipped on details, is to invite the rumors and allow the media to construct its own narrative. Even mainstream news outlets are starting to report on ?glaring concerns about Xbox One?.

It doesn?t matter if E3 is in 3 more weeks. That?s three weeks of the media creating the story.

This is pretty abysmal PR. But I shudder to think of the possibility for the next Xbox if Microsoft really doesn?t have the answers to these fundamental questions. If 6 months before the release of their next major console, they really don?t know the details of how used games will work, this is shaping up to be quite a train wreck.

Quite right. I agree entirely.

And I'm shocked to be quite honest, because I could not have been more excited for the next XBox last Monday... Then they revealed it and I no longer care... That is a VERY scary thing.

[shakey]

Quite right. I agree entirely.

And I'm shocked to be quite honest, because I could not have been more excited for the next XBox last Monday... Then they revealed it and I no longer care... That is a VERY scary thing.

Same with what CD said and your opinion. I don't care about either console, I only care about what has more to offer to me and which one treats me fair. I have some friends though that are die hard 360 lovers. After yesterday, most are now saying that if Sony allows more than MS, they will be switching.

This Gen isn't about power of console, as they will most likely both be the same. This gen, its about what us, the consumers, are allowed to do. The more we are limited, the more the competition will start to be favored.

Sony will really have this gen in the bag, if they just keep up with the same model us gamers have been used to dealing with.

[M_Lyons10]

Same with what CD said and your opinion. I don't care about either console, I only care about what has more to offer to me and which one treats me fair. I have some friends though that are die hard 360 lovers. After yesterday, most are now saying that if Sony allows more than MS, they will be switching.

This Gen isn't about power of console, as they will most likely both be the same. This gen, its about what us, the consumers, are allowed to do. The more we are limited, the more the competition will start to be favored.

Sony will really have this gen in the bag, if they just keep up with the same model us gamers have been used to dealing with.

Yep. It's really amazing just how one sided the XBox One is. It's as if Microsoft didn't even consider what the gamers actually wanted.

It's puzzling and a little offensive. I'm a big Microsoft fan. Always have been. But this console crossed a line that I find very frustrating...

[shakey]

Yep. It's really amazing just how one sided the XBox One is. It's as if Microsoft didn't even consider what the gamers actually wanted.

It's puzzling and a little offensive. I'm a big Microsoft fan. Always have been. But this console crossed a line that I find very frustrating...

I used to work for MS Xbox division. So most of my friends I made at that job are still very much "in love" with the xbox. My FB feed yesterday was just blown up by all of them announcing when the premier would be. Shortly after that, it was blown up with comments like, " I don't know what to think." , " I hope there is a lot more than what they have shown." , or "No used games and fee's will make me consider getting a different system."

It's amazing how bad this actually turned out to be. MS really needs a shift in focus, goals, and policies. If not, they will be losing the core audience that brought them to their success in the console industry.

[Atomic Wanderer Chicken]

I watched the entire Xbox event yesterday even though I never owned an Xbox (dont plan to), and I thought it was slightly humourous when they focused on the dog. I think the PS4 will be the real winner!

Reasons why the PS4 will win.

Better design

Potentially no restrictions on selling and buying games

Slightly more powerful

Of course, online multiplayer is free

Doesnt need an internet connection to play games.

You dont have to connect some device for it to work.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I used to work for MS Xbox division. So most of my friends I made at that job are still very much "in love" with the xbox. My FB feed yesterday was just blown up by all of them announcing when the premier would be. Shortly after that, it was blown up with comments like, " I don't know what to think." , " I hope there is a lot more than what they have shown." , or "No used games and fee's will make me consider getting a different system."

It's amazing how bad this actually turned out to be. MS really needs a shift in focus, goals, and policies. If not, they will be losing the core audience that brought them to their success in the console industry.

The gamble they're playing though is in the longterm they'll sell way more than consoles are ever used to, but in that first year, when your console costs as much as it's ever going to cost, who are your early buyers who'll promote your box everywhere? The hardcore gamers that will shell up more than some people get paid in a months salary, that's who.

Like it or not MS we can already watch all our TV shows/movies with ease, what we can't get without ease unless we have a gaming PC is a top class gaming experience. We do not get that on phones/TVs/tablets, we do get TV shows, movies and sports on all of them. Gaming is such an important part of your market! PS3 and 360 sales combined are currently nearly at 160m. More than the PS2 *I think*. No one needs to kid theirselves though, there will be amazing Xbox One games, but gamers are simply not happy about some of the announcements made and/or potential future priorities of MS.

With two consoles eyeing to launch at the same time, there isn't even the benefit of "we'll release first".

[M_Lyons10]

I used to work for MS Xbox division. So most of my friends I made at that job are still very much "in love" with the xbox. My FB feed yesterday was just blown up by all of them announcing when the premier would be. Shortly after that, it was blown up with comments like, " I don't know what to think." , " I hope there is a lot more than what they have shown." , or "No used games and fee's will make me consider getting a different system."

It's amazing how bad this actually turned out to be. MS really needs a shift in focus, goals, and policies. If not, they will be losing the core audience that brought them to their success in the console industry.

Very well said. I hope they realize that and have time to reshift... Because this is going to be a disaster...

[PGHammer]

I think, for the answer to that we'll have to wait until there's some actual real world data and not just pure hyped numbers and rumored numbers that are in essence meaningless.

Which is exactly what I have been saying.

We have NADA on the PS4 except conjecture, as the console itself has not been shown - it's why I warned Sony that they were on the clock.

Those commenting over the console's *looks* - what in Ned does it matter HOW it looks if it isn't reliable doing what it is supposed to do? The RROD/RSOD issues that both the original Xbox and XB360 sufered from should have set of friggin KLAXONS inside the Xbox team that there is a serious design flaw or flaws that need fixing - if that means a design change is in order, so be it. If the *boring and dull* minimalist-style design means better reliability than the predecessors OR the competition, I can certainly live with THAT tradeoff any day. Reliability FTW, please.

margreave, XB ONE (and PS4, or even PS3/XB360) aren't meant to JUST be gaming consoles - that wasn't true of the XB360 or even the PS3, so why would it be true of the PS4 or XB ONE? Neither Microsoft or Sony is Nintendo, selling a gaming-only console - neither has done that since the original Xbox and PS2. Sony has seen their BD monopoly in the family room go permanently away as of now, as XB ONE supports BD directly. Yes, that IS important, as BD playback, if not media playback, is actually the PRIMARY use for most PS3 owners - not games. (That is according to at least one poll commissioned by Sony itself of PS3 owners.) XB360 was no real threat there, due to lack of BD capability - that is so NOT true of XB ONE. That also explains all the integration (from Kinect to the camera) - it's meant to take on, if not downright stomp on, Sony in that category. (Sony went for more-than-gaming to deal with the price issue of the PS3 - that will also be true for both XB ONE and PS4, as their prices will be too high NOT to address it.)

Very well said. I hope they realize that and have time to reshift... Because this is going to be a disaster...

Why do they have to reshift? What is it with all the complacency?

[shakey]

Why do they have to reshift? What is it with all the complacency?

Used games are basically gone. Paying almost full price for another to play a game I lend them unless I let them use my account... The complacency is being shown by those who are accepting this DRM tactic and not voicing their frustration and disappointment about such tactics being thrust upon the consumer.

If Sony shows to do the same thing, you will hear the same cry as we are expressing now. But since we do not know, we are not voicing it. But we do know what MS has planned, and many of us are not happy with the new business model.

[-T- Member]

I watched the entire Xbox event yesterday even though I never owned an Xbox (dont plan to), and I thought it was slightly humourous when they focused on the dog. I think the PS4 will be the real winner!

Reasons why the PS4 will win.

Better design - hasn't been unveiled yet, just guesswork

Potentially no restrictions on selling and buying games - unconfirmed

Slightly more powerful - irrelevant in most console generations to date. See the more powerful Xbox

Of course, online multiplayer is free - nothing officially confirmed, but likely to be the case

Doesnt need an internet connection to play games. - previous Sony patents indicate this might not be the case

You dont have to connect some device for it to work. - no confirmation on move integration

[PGHammer]

Used games are basically gone. Paying almost full price for another to play a game I lend them unless I let them use my account... The complacency is being shown by those who are accepting this DRM tactic and not voicing their frustration and disappointment about such tactics being thrust upon the consumer.

If Sony shows to do the same thing, you will hear the same cry as we are expressing now. But since we do not know, we are not voicing it. But we do know what MS has planned, and many of us are not happy with the new business model.

If you're into a game console strictly AS a game console, you are buying into that model by default. It's not a new business model for consoles - it is the EXISTING business model. All used games (and used console games in particular) are is a workaround - which is still at the discretion of the publishers. The locking-in of profits on new (and especially exclusive) console SKUs hasn't even been touched. The console SKU model hasn't changed one whit since the ATARI 2600, when it comes down to brass tacks. If exclusive SKUs drive you toward console X or Y, you are still supporting that business model. (It is the very important customer-facing side to DRIVE sales and lock-in to that model.) The only way to avoid it is to not go there in the first place.

The console hardware developers (at least Microsoft and Sony) are quite aware that gaming is less and less of a driver for console purchases - first due to higher prices, and secondly because of exactly the issue you are belatedly realizing. Note how little most Sony PS3 ads have been about the gaming capabilities of the PS3. Less than half of all PS3 owners use it primarily as a gaming device. Is the percentage ANY greater with the XB360? Then there is the capabilty question - I asked what percentage of each console's SKUs - exclusive or otherwise - used the full capabilites of the respective console. Are the percentages just as small, or smaller, compared to PC game developers? If so, than exclusivity is a minor factor at most objectively - it matters strictly on a subjective/emotion basis.

I'm not saying that gaming isn't important on a gaming console - however, it matters far less than it did merely at the launch of even the XB360 and PS3; it's become a foot in the door more than anything else.

[scaramonga]

[Boxster17]

Pretty entertaining as they did one for the PS4 reveal which was a good watch as well:

[Motoko.]

Well the half/half design really is downright silly. MS must employee talented design teams, and pay them well, what world trends of the past year have suggested such a design? I guess they did come up with Windows 8 :p

I actually laughed

I really do like the 80s VCR design, guess I'm a true millennial.

[compl3x]

Pitt's face @ "or buy a Wii U" was perfect

[PGHammer]

I actually laughed

I really do like the 80s VCR design, guess I'm a true millennial.

The design style is called *minimalism*, and it's been around for decades - the leading MODERN companies that use minimalism are Apple (Mac Pro and the MacBooks) and Tivo (the Premiere line of DVRs - from end to end). Minimalist design is about function - not form. The criticism over the LACK of flash in the design of the XBOX ONE tells me that they got it right from that standpoint - if they also can fix the reliability issues then they REALLY got it right. Why should a gaming console be a fashion statement?