The Xbox One Looks Disappointing

The Xbox One had a big reveal this week, and if Microsoft had any particular sort of plan things definitely did not go according to it. Seriously, after hearing about the Xbox One people started actually buying more Wii U devices, Gamestop saw their stock-shares plunge, Playstation fans were saying Sony actually was going about things smartly with the PS4, and everyone's first-born son died overnight. Okay, that last one is an example of me exaggerating. However, pretty much everyone on the internet is saying Microsoft botched this whole thing, big time. Yeah, not a good time for Microsoft.

One of countless memes making fun of the Xbox One, I'll explain what it's talking about shortly.

What is causing all of this vitriol from the press, gamers, and basically anyone except employees at Microsoft? Perhaps it is the issue of how for a gaming console we have seen barely anything about games outside a few brief mentions of titles and some images of a cute dog in the new "Call of Duty".  Maybe it is the fact Microsoft has said that while the Xbox One doesn't have to always be online, it has to be connected quite often for seemingly innocent sounding, "checks". I suppose these checks are necessary to make sure you aren't playing any borrowed games--that's right, Xbox One basically shuts down the whole idea of loaning your game to a friend so they can try it out, or selling your used game on Amazon--but don't worry, because retailers will still apparently will be able to sell you used Xbox One games by just paying a fee to Microsoft and the game's publisher, one that theoretically won't affect you until stores start charging extra for used games to make up for this cost. What about all those old Xbox 360 games you own, will those have any weird new draconian rules affecting them? Good news, they won't! Why, you may ask? Well, because this new Xbox doesn't play all your old 360 games. Progress!

Basically, I can bring a game to a friend's house, it installs itself on their console and let them play it as long as it is signed-in to my account, but the moment I leave, that game is inaccessible data unless my friend pays a price to buy it--never-mind Kindle somewhat solved the question of how to go about "loaning" digitial goods some time ago by making it you so you can transfer the digital "rights" to a friend for at least a period of time (but of course this makes it harder for Microsoft to make a profit from used games).

I may be getting some of this wrong about used games, and internet connectivity, but it is not my fault things are vague--Microsoft has been the reason. They have been annoying vague in answering questions with mumbles and non-answers to things they should have realized would immediately be asked. When folk asked if the PS4 had to be online the answer was a simple, "No, unless a game's publisher requires it [such as for an online game I suppose]." Why couldn't Microsoft give a "Yay" or "Nay" to these absurdly easy questions? Perhaps because they were too busy promoting how now you can use your Xbox to watch TV with handy voice-commands (as long as you have a cable box, so don't get excited) and possibly even get achievements for it! Plus you can interrupt your TV time by Skyping a friend while watching the big game to annoy them about how their team sucks! The question becomes how this stuff nobody asked for is possible, and the answer is even more horrendous! Well, the Kinect 2.0 theoretically is always watching you, which is great for when you're naked and accidentally make a Skype call to Grandma!

Don't mind me, just take your clothes off...no, slower

I have so far described a terrible way to handle used games, the creepy idea of how your Xbox could always be watching you and your friends, how now you can watch TV by yelling at instead of simply picking up a remote, and of course that there is a cute dog (not everything is bad). Upon hearing all this do you feel excited for the Xbox One? I sure don't, and unless Sony reveals an equally-horrendous used-games scheme, decides we have to always be online, or starts encouraging us to not mind an ever-watching camera in our living-room, I'm thinking the PS4 is the way to go, or even a Wii U despite how terrible things were going for it until the Xbox One came into the picture and made it look good.

Lastly, please note that I own both a PS3 and Xbox 360 and am not biased toward one or the other. I have played the PS3 more however because online multiplayer is free for most games as opposed to Xbox requiring a "Xbox Live" subscription. Other than that, I consider both consoles to be of a great quality and hold no ill feelings toward Microsoft or Sony. Therefore, I didn't say all those mean things about the Xbox One out of spite, but as a form of tough love so that Microsoft gets their stuff together before this thing comes out and makes everyone really sad.