I Have No Problem With The Xone and The PS4 Being Similar Products Now

On 05/25/2014 at 09:08 AM by gigantor21

Man, I haven't posted a blog in over a month, LOL. XD

In the wake of MS's announcement that the Xbox One will now be sold without the Kinect, several media types and gamers lament how little separates it from the PS4 now. The Kinect and the vision that MS built around it--their main argument for putting it in every box--is no longer valuable, they say. Now, the story goes, the Xone is just a weaker version of the PS4 that plays Halo.

I not only have no problem with that, but it makes the Xone FAR more attractive.

Fact is, I don't care about the Kinect. Their not allowing you to disconnect it or shut it off while the device had to be constantly online was creepy enough. But even after they stopped that nonsense, nothing they've done with the peripheral has convinced me it's worth the $100 premium over the PS4. Not only do the vaunted voice commands not work consistently, but I have zero interest in the games being built around it.

For me, it's just as vestigial as the WiiU's Gamepad--except in Nintendo's case, I can see a use for the device so it bothers me that they AREN'T leveraging it more. The Kinect, meanwhile, seems tacky and forced on. A solution looking for a problem.

And the people arguing against MS's recent moves underestimate how this undercuts Sony's argument for the PS4. When the current generation started, the PS4 was easily the better value. It was cheaper even WITH the PS Camera while being more powerful. But now, both systems cost the same, both will get the same multiplats, both require a fee to play online, both will allow Netflix and the like for no extra charge, and both use free games to sweeten that deal.

After MS's disastrous rollout and E3, I was 100% sure I'd never even touch the Xbox One. With all the moves Phil Spencer and co. have made, though? I could absolutely see myself buying one now. In fact, I'd say I'm about 50:50 between that and a PS4. I'll be playing most multiplats on PC, so now that both are the same price the quality of the exclusives is more important to me than the PS4's technical advantage. And Killer Instinct and Sunset Overdrive look more interesting than anything we've seen or heard about on the PS4.

It's gonna be a lot of fun to see how Sony responds at E3, and what MS will roll out next.

Cary Woodham

05/25/2014 at 09:10 AM

As soon as they have some games that appeal to me, then I'll be interested in a PS4 and/or Xbox One.

gigantor21

05/25/2014 at 11:47 AM

It's the only reason to buy a console at these prices. They're both too expensive for anything else.

transmet2033

05/25/2014 at 02:28 PM

I know that it is a good thing that the Xbox One is more like a PS4, but there is something that is still bugging me. It is far more appealing now that it is at a lower price point and kinectless. Sunset Overdrive is a game that would have probably helped convince me to get an Xbox One over a PS4. The only issue is that Microsoft was not marketing the Xbox One to me.

It is a good thing to see that Microsoft is listening to its fans and making changes.

05/26/2014 at 11:26 AM

It really is. Phil Spencer and Co. are doing a damn good job. Getting rid of Don "buy a 360 if you don't like it" Mattrick was a good call, LOL.

Nicoleb1989

05/26/2014 at 03:02 AM

I plan to buy a xbone one eventually but im still kind of being cautionary with MS. Dont get me wrong, I see their putting alot of effort to better their system but first impressions do matter and they made a bad one at the very start of the journey. Sunset Overdrive might just convince me to buy in coming months but hey ya never know.

05/26/2014 at 11:27 AM

That you're at least willing to give them a chance now, after how horrible their intial rollout was says alot about how much progress they've made. I do agree that they aren't out of the woods yet, though, in terms of people's view of them.

KnightDriver

05/26/2014 at 09:32 AM

Someone on a podcast mentioned that the processing used for Kinect can now be applied to games, making the system a little more powerful.

The game that makes me want a X1 the most right now is Crackdown 3.

05/26/2014 at 11:28 AM

I honestly don't see that making a huge difference, as it was only 10% of the graphical power being left aside AFAIK. But any little bit helps.

Super Step Contributing Writer

05/27/2014 at 01:54 AM

Same here, and after meeting and eating lunch with Insomniac Games employees like Ryan Schneider, I really, really want Sunset Overdrive even more now. Those folks are awesome.

05/27/2014 at 12:43 PM

God, it looks SO much fun. D:

NSonic79

06/24/2014 at 01:29 PM

I can relate now when it's now a 50:50 choice for me in getting either system. though it's more of a technical and accessablity for me that'll make me reconsider the Xbox One. Sure Master chief collection wooed me a bit but I'd have to put more work into preparing my game rigs if i went for a PS4 or even an Wii U.

Also I wonder if this means that people who bought a kinect with their system are able to disconnect their units and have their Xbox One system still functional, since now they are no longer needed to make the main console function itself.

PixlBit