So it's been revealed, and frankly I'm surprised that no one beat me to this...

¿Thoughts?

Here are some of mine, more will have to come as more info becomes available.

To a certain extent I'm disappointed with the One. Then again, neither Sony or Microsoft have gone the ways of nintendo in trying to make significant changes in the consoles. I can't help feeling that the Xbox One is trying to go the way Sony tried to go with the PSX, making the device into an entertainment center. Like putting Apple TV and a smart TV into the console. I feel there's nothing that will drastically change the gaming experience except for the renewed hardware (again, nothing new).

So the thing can multitask... well so can computers and some mobile devices.

I feel like when I bought my last TV set. I picked one up based on its screen, size and pricetag and the dependent on the store insisted on selling me another model because the one I picked was just a TV.

__ Adding:

Finally, MS seems bent on making the Xbox the center of my life. Are the people who design these things married?? Heh...

It looks a bit bulky, but if it's as quiet as they say it is, then I'll assume the size is needed for that quiet cooling and let it pass. The only things that should make noise in a home theatre/entertainment setup are the speakers.

Specs seem OK, 8GB RAM should last them a few years.

I don't really know why I streamed the reveal, given that I have no intention of buying a console now (after 20 years dry). The TV/Game switching was nice, as you don't need to go fishing for the remote, but it's not amazing. Skype on the TV doesn't really convince me either, as I see Skype as being a private phone call, and a TV as a public device (at least, as far as a household goes). I guess for teenagers with a TV in their own room that might be nice, but I don't think it's going to be big in the living room.

All in all it seems like a logical bunch of upgrades but nothing standout. Does it require a connection? What's the price? The info that really matters wasn't given (unless it was, during the parts of the live stream that my connection screwed over).

In Reply To #2

It seems that always online is not a requirement. As far as that being used for piracy control, it will be up to game manufacturers.

Hardware wise, with the play from drive feature they keep talking about, 500 GB is not going to be enough. Not remotely.

The one final issue I have with the One is: NO BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY. Which sucks. But I really don't go back to older games as often as I'd like...

In Reply To #3

I just figured it's part of a plan to have old games re-released on XBLA for $20 a pop or so, a bit like what Microsoft did with Age of Empire 2 recently on Steam.

I haven't seen anything to impress me. PS4 showed us Watch Dogs. This showed us? Yeah, exactly.

In Reply To #5

The games will come. There is absolutely no reason to be worried about that.

Beyond that, I must admit that I like what I'm seeing. There really is a very good chance I'll choose this over the PS4 when the time codes (still no certainty though, there's a reason why I said "like," not "love").

Here's an excellent preview by Wired: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/xbox-one/

Also, read Tim Buckley's comments (of Ctrl+Alt+Del), he makes some good points and overall I agree with him: http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20130522/#n2460

These TV controlling functions seem nice, but will they work with Satellite TV? Even worse, it'll be years before that works in Mexico. When the time comes to buy a new console, my mind is still not made up. Guess my 360 is going into 2014.

Watching the presentation, all I could think was "I wonder how many of these functions won't be totally crippled by region restrictions"... I don't know about cable, but our network TV in Australia (while improved compared to a even a few years ago) is a joke. Focusing on cross-functionality there seems like a waste when I don't know anyone that uses the Netflix style apps on their current consoles (or if they would like to, get a nice prompt that what they want to watch isn't available here, or similar BS).

In Reply To #8

My grudge with Netflix on Xbox is that I already pay for Netflix, I also have to pay for a gold membership to be able to watch it on the console. I can plug my phone to my HDMI port on the TV and it's free.

I seriously don't like the fact that they'll be charging a fee if you borrow a game from a friend and try to play it on your own system at home. Bring back the cartridge system of yesteryear~~~~WoHoooEss~~~~~!

They do that? On my PS3 it's just an app type deal. Not that I'm keen on getting a PS4. I'm broke and I'll be riding the PS3 long past its sunset. But that Netflix fact does not make me inclined to switch to an Xbox when the time comes.

Internet TV and don't have to fuck around with anything else. Get with it, bitches.

The used game issue remains

Official update from Microsoft concerning game licenses.

Important points:
- You can sell your games if the publisher allows it. Microsoft Studios will allow it.
- You cannot sell games you bought used.
- You can sell/give a game only to friends who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days or to authorized retailers (who most likely pay a fee, making used games more expensive).

Sounds a bit complicated, but reasonable. Definitely better than nothing.

That part seems 'not great, but reasonable', I agree.

The 'always on' fudge, though...



So if my friend has a dodgy internet connection, or his phone line goes down or whatever, I can only play MY games on his console for an hour?

And for XboxOne an internet connection is 1.5Mbps. Which is fine for me (and most of the UK), but is the rest of the world at that speed now?

I know Ireland isn't - even Dublin is only over that if you pay through the nose. Is the entire US over 1.5Mbps consistently / affordably?

Some bizarre choices being made here, I think.

(I'll be deciding mainly on 'what the situation is about a year after release' anyway, so I take pre-release stuff with a pinch of salt, but still... the doomsaying doesn't look that far from the truth)