My, my, what a week it has been in the gaming industry. Just a week removed from E3, where Microsoft again showed off the future of gaming with the Xbox One, the console maker has gone back on everything it once promised. No check-ins, no DRM, no region-locking; the Xbox One has undergone quite a change. But does it make the console more appealing to gamers?
Bundled with the Kinect, the Xbox One still costs $499 — $100 more than the PS4. Price was never really the main concern among most — the biggest argument against the Xbox One was its policies towards used games and offline gameplay. Now that Microsoft has announced these new changes, does it make the Xbox One more appealing?
Matt Liebl Follow on Twitter
I thought by removing the 24-hour check-in requirement and dropping the DRM, I'd be more attracted to the Xbox One. And at first I was, but then I thought about the features we'd be missing out on as a result of the change in policy and I became a bit saddened — the future actually did sound really cool with a digital library and family sharing plan! Then I heard the alleged family sharing plan details and it turns out it was one giant misconception to begin with — if the details are true.
I'm more confused over the Xbox One than I've ever been. It's that confusion that's turning me away from it. Microsoft has been so vague every step of the way; they've flip-flopped on policies they so firmly stood by at E3. Microsoft ditched the very features that they promised would be the future of gaming. So what is the Xbox One, really? A slightly less powerful PS4?
What makes the Xbox One and PS4 different at this point? The games? Well, Sony's track record with games, including the end of this generation, as well as their support for indies, leads me to believe the PS4 will be the place to be for exclusives. No, the Xbox One is not more appealing with these new policies because it's really only catching up with those that Sony had already set forth with the PS4.
Verdict: It's merely playing catch-up to the PS4.
Lance Liebl Follow on Twitter
Yes, it will be to many people, but not to me. Removing the online check-ins and DRM gives gamers what they've been asking for, but Microsoft only decided to do so because there was nothing good being said about the Xbox One. The fact of the matter is no one cares what exclusives you have if you never actually own the game, just the rights to play it.
Microsoft's response to almost every critique on the Xbox One was handled poorly, so forgive me if I'm not going to sing their high praises on top of a mountain for something they should have done a while ago. Of course the removal of DRM makes it more appealing, but I'm still being forced to buy a Kinect I don't want to use, raising the price of the Xbox One by $100. No thank you.
Verdict: The Kinect and price still kill it.
Mike Splechta Follow on Twitter
As someone who didn't really care about the DRM to begin with, this announcement from Microsoft had little to no effect on me. It's all about the games, which Microsoft showed plenty of at E3. But that's not to say I don't find it more appealing.
Taking into account everyone around me and all the thousands of people on the internet who stood their ground against DRM, I see this as a huge win for the consumer. Whether Microsoft did it for the consumer is questionable, since the bottom line always comes down to making money.
The timing of this change did come as a surprise though. I was interested to see how the console actually works; if it would have been accepted once it came out with its DRM restrictions and its "too good to be true" Family Share plan. Regardless, my opinion of the console doesn't change. I was excited for the Xbox One pre-DRM change, and I'm still excited about it now. Console features aside, I'm just excited to play the games! Isn't that what gaming's all about anyways?
Verdict: I was excited for the Xbox One even before the DRM change.
Tatiana Morris Follow on Twitter
Is the Xbox One more appealing now that Microsoft has changed their policies? Yes. Does that mean I'll be buying one? Not exactly. It must have been insanely hard for Microsoft to go back on everything they said. Every interview before this change was filled with words stating how sure they were of what they were doing; words that said they were bringing gamers into the future of gaming. At this moment, a number of gamers are all ready always online but that wasn't the issue; the issue was our freedom of choice. We didn't want restrictions on what we could and couldn't do. Microsoft changed their policies to save their reputation and continue making money….but I digress!
The Xbox One is more appealing and this may be a game changer for the console's sales, but it's not a game changer for me. I'll be on my PC and eventually buy a PS4 when there's a good bundle.
Verdict: Sticking with my PC until a decent bundle is announced.
Andrew Clouther Follow on Twitter
Sure it’s more appealing. With that said, I’m no closer to buying it or any other console. Microsoft and Sony are trying so hard to create the same console. The ‘console war’ is getting closer to the ‘console compromise’ every day.
The Wii U gets a ton of flack but at least it’s unique, even after playing its hand first. At this point, the only real questions come down to which exclusive games do you like better and what consoles are your friends getting? When it all gets boiled down, I’d ultimately rather play the console that the majority of my friends have over the others.
Verdict: The 2013 Console Compromise.
Do the changes to the Xbox One make the console more appealing, or are you sticking with the PS4/Wii U? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter: @GameZoneOnline.
