Xbox One: a must-buy
I really don’t understand all this huss-and-fuss over Microsoft’s new gaming (yes, gaming) console - do we really live in a world where people can justify paying $500 for a new iPhone, or $70,000 for a cheap Mercedes, or $350,000 for a 5-bedroom house when you have one kid, but not being able to trade in games to GameStop is an issue? I mean, seriously, how cheap can people get about something so simple?
It’s just business
Microsoft, just like Apple, and Mercedes, and your realtor, is running a business, and in an industry where people have invented means of getting the same content for less, they’re missing out. If you buy a refurbished iPhone, you’ve got dings and scratches to deal with. Buy a used Mercedes, and the car has some mileage on it, not to mention the lack of a new car smell. Someone’s old house will have its memories and scars, foundation issues and repairs. However, with a game, the content is the same as long as the disc isn’t damaged beyond repair, so what’s so surprising about Microsoft finally having enough of selling Halo 4 at launch for full price and people buying it for 30% off at GameStop?
Consoles themselves, especially this time around, near $400-$500, plus $60 (as long as this stays the standard) games - if you can afford the console, and the electricity and internet to run it, what is $40 versus $60 to you? It’s as if more people are complaining than those really affected by this issue - I’ve actually seen more U.S. gamers gripe about this than those in areas with poor or no internet, but that’s probably because the U.S. is better at being cheap. All these folks complaining about the internet check every 24 hours have internet anyway, and where can you take your Xbox and play it that doesn’t have internet, whiners?
Plus, all this business about borrowing games and Microsoft buckling down on it as a bad thing are ridiculous. Most games don’t have online passes, and now even the king of online passes, EA, has done away with them in future, and several past, titles, so you can access both single-player and multiplayer components of a game from one disc. That is to say, I can spend $60 myself on Gears of War 3, play it as much as I want, let my friend borrow it until he’s done, and then pass it around until Microsoft and Epic Games have lost out on several hundred dollars. Now, I wonder why on Earth Microsoft would have an issue with that?
It’s an awesome innovation
Quick-switching between apps, multi-tasking video chatting and games/TV shows/movies, true game-suspension, real-time updating of achievements and challenges, voice and motion-controlled interface, on top of the nerdy tech stuff: 8 GB DDR3 RAM, 8 core CPU, 500 GB HDD (which is 180 GB more than the biggest 360 S HDD available), and dual Wifi antennas for better, strong connection.
Those who claim the PS4 is doing more for gaming are only kidding themselves - the PS4 is only doing gaming. The reason the Xbox One conference didn’t highlight gaming was because it wasn’t the only thing there to show - gaming is a given on next-gen consoles, but what isn’t given is a set-top box that can dominate your living room.
At least, it wasn’t until the Xbox One showed up.
