Xbox One Sales Lag PS4 As Microsoft Slowly Figures Out You Can't Tell Gamers What They're Supposed To Want
from the It's-innovative-because-I-say-so dept
Microsoft's Xbox One console (now affectionately referred to as the "Xbone") obviously had a rocky start, with the company having to back away from some of their more obnoxious DRM ambitions (and admittedly a smattering of actually interesting ideas) in response to user backlash. That effectively gave them public perception issues right out of the gate as the next-generation console wars got underway. That allowed Sony to enjoy a stretch of great press simply for giving consumers what they actually wanted and they had assumed was baseline functionality (like oh, the ability to still rent games).Unsurprisingly, the latest data from the NPD Group suggests Microsoft's stumbles have contributed to Sony selling twice as many PlayStation 4 consoles during the month of January. That's despite some PS4 supply constraints in North America, and the fact that Sony's console has yet to even launch in their home country of Japan. As any good fanboy worth their salt will tell you, it's far too early to read too much into these results. Still, there's numerous obvious lessons here that still somehow haven't penetrated the somewhat thick, public perception shell known to ensconce the Redmond giant.
Microsoft could probably obliterate much of Sony's lead by simply cutting the price by $100 to match the $400 PS4. That, however, would require lopping off the gimmicky head known as their Kinect motion-sensing attachment, something Microsoft seems insistent on believing everybody still finds immensely innovative. Except the lion's share of gamers (there's always exceptions) grew bored with the concept of full-body game controls somewhere in late 2010 (or about two days after it was released). There's also the fact that the new-but-still-gimmicky Kinect 2.0 still just doesn't work very well for many people:
"The Kinect for the Xbox One is a sophisticated, expensive piece of equipment that adds very little to the act of playing games. I'm able to get voice commands to work around 80 percent of the time, but my wife and children have much worse luck...The system is still new, but every Xbox One owner now has a peripheral that has little reason to exist, aids their gaming in very few real ways and costs them a significant amount of money."You can assume Microsoft will figure this out and offer an Xbox One without a bundled Kinect -- about seventy meetings, four-thousand internal e-mails, and one year from now.
Another stumble came because while Microsoft wanted the console to be the innovative heart of the television experience, the company lacked the courage or aptitude to make that actually happen. Fundamental technologies required by the audiophile set were oddly excluded, like HDMI 5.1 pass through. Microsoft also sacrificed functionality for control; omitting features available in the last generation of consoles like DLNA streaming and MP3 playback capabilities (one can only assume with the purpose of driving users away from piracy or competing services and toward Microsoft and Microsoft partner content). The Roku 3 does significantly more things on the video and music front arguably better, and it's around $90 and the size of a bloated hockey puck.
While many of these issues can be fixed or improved upon with software updates, Microsoft may not have the aptitude to course-correct their biggest stumble: the decision to hitch their shiny, sleek, new, black spacecraft to the innovatively-skittish donkey known as the traditional cable industry.
As with the Xbox 360, Microsoft seems intent on embracing the cable industry's "TV Everywhere" mentality, where the lion's share of your viewing options only work if you subscribe to a particular company's cable or broadband services (sometimes both are required). Cable executives and Microsoft think hamstringing a powerful game console into being a less functional cable box with a fractured viewing experience is the height of innovation. While Microsoft has been tinkering with original content, if the company was truly interested in embracing next-generation options they would have followed Roku's successful lead and embraced a much broader array of "channels" and services appealing to cord cutters -- like Plex.
The PlayStation 4 isn't exempt from criticism, given it too can't play MP3s and lacks DLNA streaming support also courtesy of anti-piracy myopia, but at least it's a console that appears to understand what it is, and Sony's intentions aren't buried under quite as many layers of assumptions and demands as to what consumers are supposed to desire. These consoles have an immensely-long life cycle and an ocean of updates will change them immeasurably over the next decade for better or worse; I have no doubt Microsoft can manage to keep the Xbox One in the contention if not beyond (competition is useful like that). But Microsoft would certainly take things a long way if they would stop telling consumers want they're supposed to want -- and actually deliver what consumers want.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: kinect, playstation, ps4, xbox one
Companies: microsoft, sony
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
The UI is horrid, even after the update. One is greeted with either a bookmark history of everything they looked at, ads, or ridiculous apps which, if you don't use, just clog the visual interface.
Want to know what game is in the disk tray? Scoot those eyeballs to the lower right, near center, of the UI mess, about where existing ads are on the 360.
Microsoft is "promising" a better update in March, but I'll believe it when I see it.
As for Kinect, I "disabled" the camera (duct tape - it's ugly, but it works) and rarely use the voice activated commands.
Ironically, I just bought a new Ford Escape, which also has voice activated commands. The girl... she's in both places! :O
Anyway, I agree Microsoft blew it with its launch, especially since PR and engineers come from different worlds, but the most truly heinous lie they gave to potential customers: the HDMI-In is not a pass through! You have to use their ridiculously stupid, slow-moving, useless app.
So if you have no more HDMI ports on your TV folks, buy an HDMI switcher, because you're going to need one (or do what I do and swap them out).
Microsoft blew it.
Even still, the console is nice. Can't disagree there.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
So tell me again why anyone would say "Ya know, the Xbone is the greater value for money!"?
FYI, I have neither the One or the PS4.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
There are plenty of possibilities here. Charge a small monthly fee (say Netflix like) for full access for all online catalog of games and add a small fee to make the copy permanent on the account and possibly offer a physical media if needed. There is so much money being left on the table that it baffles me.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but game streaming over the Internet hasn't exactly been a stellar success so far, what with the slow speeds of the average Internet connection and having to take latency into account.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
Sorry, I'm being "that guy" and I realize that. These consoles just seem like a huge, user-unfriendly waste of money.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
console use
Right now the biggest issue is the lack of solid games all around, but each console does have great things coming. The Xbox's 100 dollar premium is high, but positioning themselves inbetween your TV and Cable box was genius really. No matter what I'm doing on my TV, the Xbox is always the first thing turned on, as it then turns on my receiver and TV, so they're ensuring they make their platform the simplest to access.
Also, the reason Kinect is required is specifically because of the media offerings. The IR blasting is done using the Kinect sensor so you don't have to use those old school little dongles running the IR sensor of each device you want to control. It emits the IR signal out the Kinect which then bounces the signal around the room and the devices then pick up the signals and activate. They really should do a better job explaining this to people.
Overall, I'd say currently if you're a cable TV subscriber Xbox One is the winner if you're into media, tv and some gaming. If you are strictly into gaming then go PS4, as it is slightly more powerful with games running a bit higher res on it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
You get a USB powered headset that also includes a 3.5mm jack (such as my Turtle Beach PX21) and a USB powered DAC with optical input (such as the Turtle Beach DSS2). You plug the headset's USB into your computer, set the PC's default audio device as the USB headset. You plug the headset's 3.5mm jack into the DAC, and connect the DAC via both USB and optical into your console.
It's incredibly redundant, since you're using two separate machines to do what should be done using one, it's a mess to set up and you're now paying for electricity for two machines, but it works.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: console use
[ link to this | view in thread ]
And remember back when you could finally rip CDs with Windows Media Player? It "protected" the files by default. And "protected" didn't mean they were protected from deletion. They were protected from being copied. So even if you backed them up on a second computer, they could not be played on the second computer. They could not be played with all digital music players. And if your PC crashed and you had to reinstall Windows, all of your music could be unplayable.
Heck, to this day when I'm playing MP3s in Media Center (ripped from my own CDs or bought from Amazon), it gives me the option to purchase those very same songs. Why the frick would I want to purchase songs I already own?!
I could go on and on, but Microsoft has always placed its customers second when it comes to corporate interests.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
I'm not totally boycotting Microsoft, but I won't be buying another MS game console.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Kinect is a very useful accessory
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a550445/rebellion-xbox-one-1080p-issues-can-be-fixed.ht ml
The XO and 360 cannot cross communicate with voice but I'm pretty sure the PS4 and PS3 cannot. I believe it was announced they could but there was a problem and the feature isn't there (yet).
I myself get a ton of use out of Kinect. I personally am glad it was included because I think it will lead to more developers putting the time into Kinect features in games (as long as they are not a hindrance and forced on you). Even though I personally am glad it was in there I do not agree with them including it because it does seem a lot of people either truly don't want it or it was more ammo to complain about something they had no intent on buying anyway. With the Kinect not being required like it once was I believe they will release a Kinectless system for cheaper and the Kinect separately, though I am sure buying both boxes would be more expensive than buying the "bundle" as it would become.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
The tech is behind though. Instead of having a year jump on the 8th generation like Nintendo claimed they are really just eight years behind on the 7th.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Not a game machine
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: console use
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
They will be able to squeeze some more out of the console in time, but it will be surpassed by the PS4 even then.
And while this is going on for the next years the PC is still being hampered by consoles because this time they don't even remotely catch up to low end gaming PCs, unlike before.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Kinect is a very useful accessory
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
If that scenario comes to reality there will still be the fact that major titles will still be under tight grip of the big console makers. But then it'll be a question of time till the hardware is split from the software and consoles will be actually built from scratch just like current computers. I like the idea, honestly.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: That will change
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
I will never go back to consoles. Many are like me.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
As to how they want you to listen to music... By subscribing to Xbox Music/Sony Music Unlimited of course! Don't worry, their subscription based music services work right out of the box!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
The lack of native MP3 support in earlier versions of Windows was largely down to 2 things - licensing and fear of piracy liability. For the former, look no further than Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3#patent. Microsoft didn't want to pay the license for every copy of Windows, just as they didn't want to pay the licence for the DVD capability to be built in either.
Then, there's of course the issue of being targeted for pirated music. The versions you're talking about were a highly sensitive time, especially once MS decided to get into licensing and selling digital music through its own stores (read: they wanted to make the money off DRM, up until they failed miserably of course). Letting people play back MP3s could enable people to play back pirated music and therefore cut into someone's profits. The idiocy they introduced into Media Player's ripping capabilities was only one further bow down to the record labels' backward thinking at the time before they were forced to admit that DRM was unworkable on purchased music (for now at least, I have no doubt they're try again if someone foolish enough got in charge).
Now, it's a different argument. Not only is the patent battle mostly won and fully legal mainstream MP3 store commonplace, but I believe the patent battle won as well. On top of that, it was a capability that was in the previous XBox by default, which has now apparently been removed. This isn't MS not wishing to place themselves in trouble to allow people to play their music, this is them deliberately removing that capability. A different argument altogether.
"Why the frick would I want to purchase songs I already own?!"
Short answer? Because you didn't buy it from *them*, so according to one interpretation of the rules they agreed with the record labels you must surely be a pirate. The fact that you still have the issues you describe is a very good indication as to why MS - and all DRM on music - failed miserably in their attempts to force that crap onto legal customers.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
Cost.
To get PS3 games working on the 4, you would need either the exact same components from the 3 (meaning the CELL processor) or crank up the 4's own APU so that it can properly emulate the 3 at a fast enough frame rate. Even if we had C/APUs capable of doing that sort of emulation (we actually don't, not yet), putting hardware that powerful into the new generation of consoles would have increased the price of the consoles by quite a bit.
Does it suck that there is no backwards compatibility? Yes. Do you and I want it? Yes. Does it make sense to complain that Microsoft/Sony made a dumb decision? No, since they didn't. Adding in the BC would only have raised the cost of the consoles.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
That being said until Wind Waker I did not feel like any game has done a good job of using the tablet. It is especially annoying when a game pauses itself and displays "Look at the GamePad". If you are freezing the game then you are pulling me out of it to look at my controller.
The battery life in the tablet is not good. If I was playing for an extended session I would have to put the tablet on the cradle and switch to the regular controller. When doing this I actually missed what the tablet offered.
I think the GamePad has potentiality. Unfortunately cross platform games won't make good use of it and console exclusives will force it into the game awkwardly.
My issue with Nintendo has always been "stop making me use your console gimmicks when basic controls makes more sense".
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Windows 8 has been stumbling around for 1-1/2 years because no one wants to allow a checkbox labeled "Use Classic interface." There is little wrong under the hood with Win8, but their intransigence insisting on Metro is killing them. Apple's craptacular Launch Pad - because I wanted the broken iOS UI jammed onto my MBP - sucks and there's no simple way to ditch it and Apple are dicks about it, but why does M$ need to emulate Apple's anti-user behavior. They'd probably look at Chris Brown and think, "We want to beat up Rihanna, too," not, "We need to free that poor girl from that brute and show her sweet love."
I have marveled at Microsoft's utter botching of every. Single. Step. of the XBone's rollout for the past year. From not understanding the backlash over Adam Orth's rude comments to staggering from one position to another regarding used games/sharing/DRM to having game dev after game dev put out titles which run slower, at lower resolution and quality, than the PS4 versions. Considering they're basically the same hardware - an x86 PC with 8GB RAM and a burly CPU/GPU core - the little differences in what Sony spec'ed are killing M$ as the PS4 is $100 cheaper and does games better. M$ basically adopted the stance that killed Sony for most of the past gen and are now wondering why they're trailing so badly.
As a proud member of the Glorious PC Gaming Master Race with an Xbox 360 and PS3 and a backlog of games so massive that I've joked that I wouldn't even be in the market for a new console until it's had two price cuts and a redesign, the next-gen holds almost zero interest for me. Most of the games being touted as showcases for next-gen like Watch Dogs will be on PC and thus really inexpensive within a few months of release. It's bizarre how the console makers want to sell us the One Box to bind our home theaters together and then gimp the snot out of them, whether it's demanding XBL Gold to stream Netflix or refusing to take feeds from DLNA devices. WTFF?!? (I thought the PS3 was bad in not being able to see video files on a disc unless they were literally in a folder called "Video.")
Now that Chromecast is open to outside devs, I'm able to use my phone to toss DLNA content from my NAS to the TV instead of having to fire up a console. If Amazon wasn't anti-Android with their Prime Video, I wouldn't even need to boot the PS3 to watch that.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Once Microsoft rolled that back, they all complained that it set back digital distribution another decade. As if Microsoft now can't implement Xbox-Live-connected-only single player digital downloads to your hard drive on its own. As if the ability to play a game with no internet enabled by simply putting in a disk would prevent download games from being possible.
It is still possible to allow the 1984-ish big brother distopia that they want if they only buy games digitally. And those that don't want online play can still use their disks bought in a real store if they want to as well.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: console use
[ link to this | view in thread ]
I side-graded this generation. Bought a PS3 for the exclusive games I missed during the last generation, and got a BluRay player to boot. $200 with 2 games.
Benefit, the used game market for PS3, and 360 games is HUGE right now as everyone dumps their last gen games to buy this gen games.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
How do expect anyone to believe a word you say after this!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
I'll never buy another piece of hardware from Microsoft. Not even Sony can F you in the A as bad as Microsoft, and Sony's been perfecting the science for decades. Microsoft has simply transcended the science of user abuse, and turned it into a form of performance art that is both captivating and terrible to witness. The graceful savagery of the XBone rollout has been so entertaining that only a Marlin Perkins voiceover could make it better.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Kinect is a very useful accessory
The Kinect 2.0 hardware, which included a number of abilities those in the spy business have no doubt drooled over, were NOT optional; the Xbox One would not function at all if the Kinect device wasn't connected, even if it wasn't needed for anything. This was one of the biggest reasons I was very disappointed, seeing as I've owned an Xbox 360 since 2006, love it, and had been looking forward to next gen for quite some time by that point. I planned on buying whatever they released no matter the price tag, right up until their announcement. And sure, they've done a 180 turn on a lot of that bad stuff, but for me this still hasn't been enough now that we've been given a glimpse into their thoughts on where they wish to take us gamers.
Some folks like to revise history and claim it was the Playstation fans whom were being all negative and vocal about the Xbox One, but I guarantee it was the Xbox fans making the most fuss. I was one of them. What really saddened me after Microsofts 180 though is how quickly gamers forgave them. I wonder just how good sales for the Xbox One would be right now if they had chosen to stay the course they'd originally set.
And as if the forced Kinect usage wasn't bad (or suspicious) enough, there were all the other things too. A big one was the outright attack on the used games market and the means through which they planned on doing it. All games requiring activation, along with an always on, always connected, all seeing eye pretty much (in the form of an internet connection) focused squarely on console owners? No thank you! I expect they'll continue to push this one and just go about it differently until it sticks. I tend to buy the vast majority of my games brand new (vast being an apt word to use in my case), so the whole activation fee for used games they'd be able to enforce wouldn't really affect me. It's not just the big corporations, for whom selling used titles is a large part of their business model, who would be negatively impacted. No, it's all the little mom and pop stores as well. There are a ton of them out there and it's bad enough the ability to rent out the usual forms of audio visual entertainment has been throughly compromised in recent years, but the loss in terms of selling used stuff? That would bankrupt the vast majority of them I think, bringing us all closer to a monopoly dominated by the big three; Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. This is very bad for not only we gamers, but all consumers really. The mom and pop stores are run by good people in most cases and they don't deserve to have their livelihood ripped out from under them like that by heartless, soulless, multi-billion dollar corporations.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
bye bye consoles!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
$100 off Xbox 1 in exchange for PS3 or Xbox360
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
I think all early adopters of either console are just plain getting the shaft.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
If 'early adopters are getting the shaft'(and I certainly wouldn't argue otherwise), it seems to be well deserved, since they're buying the console(s) on nothing more than potential, where it might get some games you really want in the future, and in the meantime it just duplicates the function of other tech you've likely already got around the house.
For consoles, I say wait a few years, both for a decent game library to shape up, and for them to deal with any technological problems that may pop up that requires a serious fix('Red ring of death' anyone?). You've also got the benefit that after a few years the price will likely have dropped a few times, so it won't be such an insanely large purchase.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
My $470(after tax) laptop has 8GB of RAM with a 1 GB graphics card(you can use the on-board graphics at same time for a total of 2GB of VRAM). That leaves you with about $1 500 to upgrade the graphics card or to just buy a better laptop to start with. I also have a carrying case that seems like it was made for it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Response to: Ninja on Feb 21st, 2014 @ 5:48am
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: console use
[ link to this | view in thread ]
You forgot a few more mistakes
- The absurd Gold requirement to use things that are otherwise free. If not for Sony there would no Games for Gold.
- The GPU architecture. Is it really a problem? Either way it makes Sony's console way more attractive to customers AND developers.
Finally this: If you have a solid PC your not missing anything especially if you also have a PS4. Exclusivity is mostly a thing of the past for them.
In other words. It's not worth it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
I foresaw this
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: zune
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: console use
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
Of course they don't, how else would they get you to buy new devices?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
All that is irrelevant (from my point of view) though since I'm not buying this console hahaha. If I ever buy a next gen console it will be the PS4. In like 3 or 4 years from now.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
And the availability of games thus making it worth the extra cash. And while you may be right for PS3 games any lousy computer can emulate PS2 already so there's no excuse for SOME backwards compatibility. In fact there's no excuse at all.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Response to: Ninja on Feb 21st, 2014 @ 5:48am
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
The second, probably more important part, is that Sony/MS/etc don't make money off the console, they make money off the games. So first you want them to restrict access to their console by pricing it outside the price range of most gamers, and then you want them to open up the gaming availability to every game you ALREADY own. Why would they want to sell you old games that they can't sell for more than $10-20 when they can sell you new games at a premium $60 price? It's all a careful balance, which is why they do offer older classic games ported over, but at what one would consider "high" prices for such a game, and digital distribution only, because that's the only way they will make enough money to actually put out competition to their new games.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Kinect is a very useful accessory
[ link to this | view in thread ]
As the owner of both consoles...
Sony put the battery indicator at the top right when you first login to the PS4 and when I tap the PS button you don't see the battery indicator... Nope, you have to hold the PS button and go to the log off screen to see it in the bottom right hand corner of the screen (why not just put it where it is on login and with a quick tap of the button?)
The line in the middle of the PS4, that's a straight mess!!! If I put a huge drive in that console and install 40 games, you're going to see one huge list off apps and games to rifle through! With the Xbox one, I can do the same and pin the most used to the start screen.
As for the interface of the Xbox one, sorry but, it is less convoluted than the 360 was and honestly, Zune / 360 is where the interface began.
The only thing I really hate about the Xbox One interface is the fact that I have to have the store there... Why? If I'm looking for something I will check myself, I don't need that always at the ready!
As for the 1080P bunk that PS fans are spreading, a good and fun game will play good at 900P and there are quite a few of them on XO.
And a bad game will be just as bad at 1080P and the PS4 has it's share of those.
Also, anyone who has played RYSE and Killzone can tell you, that RYSE more than holds its own at 900P and might actually be the better looking of the two next gen graphical benchmarks.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Oh yeah and
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
Xbox One does have 1080p games. 8 and counting (not that many games out yet) -a few 3rd party devs had difficulty working with the prelaunch SDK dev kit so chose to release early games at 720 to max performance, but have said with the new SDK this isn't an issue any more.
Twitch streaming is about to be launched on Xbox One and was only delayed a few months as it's more integrated than on any other platform.
re 'value' and 'add on device that most people don't want' - PS4 is just a games machine, Xbox One is a multimedia hub. They were designed that way.
If all you want is a games machine, then yeah, XB1 is probably more money than you need to spend. The PS4 is brilliant and will be perfect for you.
If you want a multimedia hub, then the XB1 is way better value for money.
and Re the Kinect I know hundreds of ppl on Xbox One, and they all love the new Kinect. If they wanted a games machine without it they'd get the PS4. but as the XB1 is still the second fasted selling console of all time, I think its a bit unfair to suggest no-one wants it.
The Voice commands are amazing and my wife and I use them more than the controller for navigating the console, browsing and controlling Netflix etc.
In game the Kinect features are also cool. Being able to issue voice commands in games like FIFA, BF4, etc leaning and interacting in BF4, Thief, etc use of sound and gestures etc in stuff like Dead Rising 3.
So honestly, Pick a fave, who cares. They're games consoles and they're both amazing pieces of kit. Just don't automatically believe what the vocal minority of internet fanatics want you to believe...
All awesome. h
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Response to: Dirk Belligerent on Feb 21st, 2014 @ 10:47am
Meanwhile Windows went from bad to OK to a horrific experiment gone wrong. Win7 is decent but I hated how they went away from a standard menu bar at the top of every window, replacing it with weird symbols that are different from app to app. Office is unrecognizable now.
I agree Windows remains better for gaming and that probably will never change, because of Apple ignoring the gaming market. If Apple opened its OS to run on other hardware and threw its considerable financial assets behind supporting gaming, it would revolutionize the industry because I believe once people like you (who are obviously somewhat ignorant of how OS X actually works, which is understandable since you've never really used it much) actually got to experience how much nicer of an OS it is, with its superior unix core based on industry standards for servers, you'd never want to go back to Winblows with its craptastic metro UI and non-standard DOS command line.
But that'll never happen anytime soon.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Response to: Dirk Belligerent on Feb 21st, 2014 @ 10:47am
"non-standard DOS command line"
Erm, it is a standard DOS command line, as in MS-DOS. Unless you're criticising it for not running a *NIX flavour. There's plenty to attack Windows for without making stuff up.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Console Fart Boxes
Both Xbone and PS4 and a complete waste of money. There's just a horrendous lack of quality games for either console.
Please don't count Titanfall, one game and a goofy game at that?
The timing of the game and console releases just don't make any sense whatsoever.
Console owners truly are the peasants in the crowd.
Long life the PC Master Race.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
xbox fan no more!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
WAS AN XBOX FAN...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Kinect is a very useful accessory
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: $100 off Xbox 1 in exchange for PS3 or Xbox360
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: As the owner of both consoles...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: console use
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ps4 vs xbox one
which one more worthed to buy?
vote and give opinion in my website if you please
PS 4 vs Xbox One at Bandingin.com
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Blah, blah, blah, blah....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
noting much
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Microsoft committed suicide.
[ link to this | view in thread ]