Xbox one Crippled
As of June 19, Microsoft has caved into pressure from a mainly confused and uninformed gamer population and revamped the Xbox One, which I will refer to as the X1.1 for clarity reasons. The new X1.1 reverts to current generation tactics, no online requirement, disc based authentication and current used game trade rules. As futurist and lover of gaming, I must say Microsoft; you have let us down and as company need to visit TV series of yesteryear for Dawson’s Creek, Family Matters and Cosby Show episodes on handling peer pressure.
Many are celebrating this as a victory for the consumer. What good is it to win the battle if you have lost the war? Before you go trotting victory over Big Bad Corporation, lets us look at the Xbox one we lost in the battle. First and foremost is lost of a disc less system. The Xbox 1 original used the 24 hour phone to authenticate your games. Meaning after you installed the game to the hard drive it could be banished to your shelf forever and a day. No more resurfacing and placing cracked/scratch disc. While is still possible with digital downloads, I am nostalgic for crowd midnight release lines. Next is the Family Share Plan. The Xbox One Family Share Plan would allow up to ten Xbox One (not owned by you for people with multiple systems) to digital share games. After installing a game on your console, your chosen few friends would be apply to play you games anywhere on earth no limitations. Along with this you would be able to sign in you Xbox One from any Xbox One and play your games. You would never risk damaging or losing a beloved game to neglectful friend.
Most importantly, we lose the opportunity to have real competition between retailers for our hard earned gaming dollars. Xbox one was intend to be first step in creating a console version of the Steam network, as I have stated in the post State of Gaming. While many say the idea of lower games is an illusion, take an objective view at the world finances. Through digital distribution and limitation of used games, publishers/developers would see a raise in profits. Digital sales have less overhead than physical retailers, IE stock, advertising, and leasing of locations. Because of this difference in Overhead, games could be offered at a lower price via digital download. Don’t believe me check out Advance auto parts website any day of the week or simply check out steampowered.com. Advance auto part offers 10-20 coupon codes for online pick up at store purchase. In effort to keep their own profits up and keep stocks of used games GameStop and other retailers would have to either price match digital prices or add value to the purchase. Anyway you look at it when corporations compete, we win.
In closing, I say farewell Xbox One, I hardly even knew you. To Microsoft, the voice which screams loudest is not always the voice of the majority. I hope that one day the X1.1 will return the original Xbox One glory. Please do not let this creation follow the path of the Microsoft Courier.
Side Note: Hey Microsoft, maybe you could offer the DRM heavy Xbox One to those of us who embrace the Next generation of game. Or maybe even gives us the ability to turn the feature of Always online system on and off as needed.