Xbox One: What Microsoft Can Do To Get Us Back

Microsoft can gain Xbox One fans back, and here’s how.

Xbox One disappointed most of us at the May 21 reveal, and just about every day afterward. Revealing the name as Xbox One may have been the first sign that they’re just too comfortable at the top.

Going back in time, our very own Daniel McCall has pointed out that whoever was on top when the “next generation” was released usually did something stupid that got them kicked in the teeth. Nintendo did it with the Virtual Boy, Sega did it with the Dreamcast, Sony did it with the PlayStation 3, and now it’s Microsoft’s turn and look what they did. If Microsoft wants its fans back, they need to break the cycle.

First off, the “Always On” rumor concerning the necessity of an internet connection was a huge issue. Not everybody can afford to get their console online. As an added insult, Adam Orth, Nintendo’s ex-creative director, pointed out in his rantings on Twitter that all of the major cities have reliable connections and we should just move. Microsoft denied it and then turned right around and confirmed it, refusing to give concrete details “until E3 2013.”

It’s simple. Don’t make us need to connect the Xbox One to the internet if we don’t have the ability or we just want to play a single-player game.

This ties in with the used games controversy, in that Microsoft claims they will enforce DRM (digital rights management) so that the Xbox One will require an internet connection to confirm that you paid for the game you’re playing, and if you got it used, you get to pay twice. Private sellers won’t charge you the additional fee, but Microsoft will get their money as soon as you decide to play a used title on your system, making you purchase the right to play that game. GameStop’s used game policies could be the death of them if this isn’t fixed, as their stockholders began abandoning them as soon as they agreed to charge the used game fee on their end. If you buy it used, you literally have to pay the seller and Microsoft separately to play it on your machine.

What if your Xbox One breaks down and you have to buy a new one? After all, we’ve all heard of the “red ring of death.” Nobody wants to pay for their entire library again if the console breaks down or they have to replace the hard drive.

Microsoft can fix this by not needing to know where every copy of every game is being played.

Backwards compatibility was one of the big selling points of every generation of gaming consoles since the invention of the disc drive. Microsoft may be using a Blu Ray drive now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t allow DVD-based games to be played. In fact, even low-end Blu-Ray players all play DVDs. And yet Microsoft themselves have stated that “if you’re backwards compatible, you’re really backwards.” That was just a big middle finger in our faces, Microsoft. Our smartphones are basically miniature computers, and if that’s possible, Xbox One can be made to be backwards compatible. Stop blaming the architecture.

Just let us play Xbox 360 games in the Xbox One.

On a positive note, the new Kinect was a good move, and innovative. We applaud you for that one, Microsoft, but please confirm our privacy.

Microsoft is also getting on indie developer’s nerves by saying they will still need publishers just to put their games on the Xbox One. You do know there are other consoles that could use more games (like the Wii U), don’t you?

Just lighten up on the indie title developers and you might be hosting some innovative new games that may just make you the king twice in a row, Microsoft.

Also, about the cloud computing … just stop it. Sega did the same thing with the Genesis, only they called it “blast processing.” It’s just an outright lie to build hype.

More cloud processing BS: joystiq.com/2013/05/24/rep… Someone please call their bluff on this.

— Jonathan Blow (@Jonathan_Blow) May 25, 2013

Last but not least, Microsoft needs to stop pulling the same line of crap over and over. It sounds a lot like, “That’s not true, in fact … hey look! A squirrel!”

What do you think Microsoft needs to do to get Xbox One fans back?