I'd like to start this off by saying that this blog is not intended to implicate or highlight any specific person, but the gaming community as a whole. Furthermore, I'm writing this in an amused tone of voice and not a completely serious one, so please take it with a grain of salt.
I've been a gamer for approximately fifteen years now—give or take—and a troubling, recurring theme in the gaming community is right under our noses and no one is taking measures to rectify it. It's the lack of constructive criticism and proper communication. No, I'm not talking about in writing or blog posts. I'm talking about...*whispers* Microsoft.
It's not news that Microsoft has been shooting themselves in the proverbial foot—or face, depending on whom you ask—and understandably so, their nonsense and as some say, injustices, have been stirring up a storm in the gaming community. So what's the problem, Valenka? Well, I think the problem comes from anger, if you'll excuse me while I put on my psychologists' hat and get my pen and paper ready.
How did Microsoft screw thee? Let me count the ways:
• Mandatory daily check to authenticate the game you're playing (speculation as of now); impossible for those without Internet or a stable or decent Internet connection
• Predetermining where customers can trade in or sell their video games (obviously GameStop and perhaps Amazon and Glyde)
• Xbox One will not function without Kinect connected (does not have to be turned on; features can be disabled)
Now, understandably, gamers have been up in arms about the Xbox One's features—namely, those top three—but are going about expressing their concerns, opinions and feelings the wrong way. Before I begin my psycho-analysis, let me highlight a little known fact about Microsoft's intentions when adding these features to the Xbox One.
As I'm sure everyone knows, Don Mattrick, the head of Xbox at Microsoft stated that the company built a system that's future-proof and if you don't like it, buy an Xbox 360. That statement right there turned them into Public Enemy Number One and my respect for the company negated seventy points. That is Microsoft's stance and they do not care if you complain.
So why are people still complaining, Valenka? Good question. It boils down to psychology. Keep flapping your gums long enough and people will do what it takes to shut you up. Hopefully, Microsoft will get sick of the commentary and climb down from their high horse. Right now, they're most likely banking on the unprecedented amount of loyal gamers who—like those who support Activision by purchasing the "new" Call of Duty game every week—will throw money at them despite the nonsense and continue to follow their shepherd.
Microsoft has a reason to be snarky. It's not justifiable, but this is the reason: they've set the standard for media streaming devices in the home with the Xbox 360 and they're pushing that forward with the Xbox One. However, after years of piracy and the...well, embarrassing albeit brief support of the wrong physical media platform, they're now working under the assumption that if you don't have Internet, no Xbox One for you.
Microsoft, with the Xbox One, is treating every owner as a potential thief; by requiring an Internet connection to check the authenticity of a video game, the Xbox One is locked where you place it, almost in a trap comparable to the Saw films. If you don't have Internet, you will own a $500 paperweight and no, it's not gold plated or encrusted with diamonds.
Speaking from an unbiased perspective, the Xbox One indeed has the potential to outsell the PlayStation 4 as they did with the PlayStation 3 (by a mere .2 million units.) It would be a good investment for the casual and hardcore gamers alike and it seamlessly brings the best of the Internet and television to the living room. It's a pure, all-in-one home entertainment system.
Microsoft just needs to rejoin us on planet earth and realise the harm they're doing to the gamers.
But getting back to what this blog is about: don't get me wrong. I understand why people are upset. I understand the head-scratching and the memes and the complaints. But the community is going about expressing their distraught in the most negative ways.
Instead of rallying a boycott, using vulgar language, insulting those who defend Microsoft and slapping each other with trout, you should gather that emotion and passion and direct it appropriately. Do what I've done: pen a strong defence letter and send it to Microsoft. Let them know why you feel the way you do directly.
Posting about your anger on Facebook or harassing the advisors at GameStop will not yield the results you desire. Take my word for it, we're getting just as tired of hearing you complain (considering we can't fix anything) as we are of Microsoft's nonsense.
If that doesn't work, I have an alternative that does not require an Internet connection or remaining stuck in the same console generation: live and let live.
What Microsoft doesn't seem to understand is that if you focus on your profits instead of your customers, in time, you shall have neither. So the Xbox One doesn't appeal to you but the PlayStation 4 does? Here's a wild idea: don't buy the Xbox One. Show Microsoft what-for by not giving them your money. If Microsoft's actions don't bother you, by all means, preorder and purchase the Xbox One at your convenience!
We're all upset. But instead of complaining to those who can't do anything about it and to those who are already tired of hearing it, take actions that will actually yield something for you. Let others buy the Xbox One if they want to; their actions aren't affecting you.
Microsoft: Yeah that's right! If you don't like it--
Quiet, you. You're still on thin ice.
Microsoft will learn...or they shall perish.
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YU: "Speaking from an unbiased perspective, the Xbox One indeed has the potential to outsell the PlayStation 4 as they did with the PlayStation 3 (by a mere .2 million units.) It would be a good investment for the casual and hardcore gamers alike and it seamlessly brings the best of the Internet and television to the living room. It's a pure, all-in-one home entertainment system. "
ME:The Xbox One will not carry over the missing XBL subscribers compared to XBOX 360 sales. They did not want it before and now being an online console it will not be purchased by those people.
YU:"slapping each other with trout"
ME: Thanks for bringing that visual memory alive again :)
Communication is the key here and they are not doing it well. I said to someone else on this site today that I suspect that MS are currently defining what to come out and say that is not ambiguous. Thus the quiet period from them.
You have to really listen to what business men say in their statements and sometimes what is not being said speaks volumes. They also use words that imply things that are dubious.
Don Mattrick said on the BBC just before E3 that the XBOX ONE did not require always on internet... http://www.youtube.com/watc... around 20 seconds in, short video.
They just need to communicate reality now as you rightly state before it really becomes entrenched.
is the right push. MS changed the face of online console gaming with their inclusion of a broadband only connection on the original xbox. Their introduction of an online community based service with xbox live....and people bought into it.
People with dialup changed to broadband. they didnt make that switch just because, something compelling came along to motivate them to make the change. Im not saying it was the original xbox that did that as there is certainly a slew of benefits from switching dialup to broadband.
Over the last 10 years, things really changed at a very quick pace. Each year more and more people as well as countries are adopting the practice of high speed access to news, entertainment, family and friends.
this is a connected world more than it is disconnected. MS is banking on that statistic that there are more people out there with internet access than not. What they did wrong was not letting them choose to have their system on the internet. But mandating it means that all the game developers dont have to compromise their product for anyone who doesnt have internet.
i know that implies them cutting off a section of consumers that arent internet compliant but again, they are going by the overwhelming statistic that there are more with than without. And who can blame them?
the ones up in arms over this are doing so because there is no choice. People dont like being forced to do something, they would rather be convinced instead of forced. MS didnt make the argument as to why their system has these features as a benefit to the consumer.
Why installs to the hdd are a benefit.
why game sharing is a benefit.
Why internet access (even a ping test style check in) is a benefit.
instead, they just said here is the system and this is what it does. had they been more open to the idea of explaining things, they would have probably been better received. Especially stating...you already have internet access...here is how our system will be a convenience to your already existing setup.
im not saying they are right or wrong in their idea because its an idea that other entertainment companies share. They are just wrong in how they presented it. i have no need to express my concerns to MS but more to those who think this was never moving in that direction to begin with.
Ms is taking the fall for an idea pioneered years ago when the first digital distribution of any licensed content was made available. This goes back to even before itunes and napster.
Well spoke- er written.
I hope many of us agree that there needs to be more of the anger/dissatisfaction honed to a knife's edge instead of the normal blazing rages.
People also need to realize that business follows the money. Microsoft would never be doing this if they didn't think they were going to reap massive profits. Like EA, they won't change if we complain while we still buy their product.
I agree with what you say, the anger should be directed at them in a way they will get(sending a letter to them or posting on their forums...which I did btw) you still can't deny the fact that negative publicity will get their attention in one way or another. They can't avoid it forever, and the longer it keeps up, the more likely they are to address it, unless they truly do not care for what we have to say. It's possible come closer to launch, they will finally feel they need the hardcore gamer...I can't say they've shown any feelings towards us at all right now except that they feel they can buy us with shiny "exclusives".
For now I feel that MS is kind of in a holding pattern. I think they hope all this hoopla will calm down. It's understandable why they feel this way, because usually after a while it does. It calmed down after it was a rumor in about a week, because we were constantly asked to wait until the reveal. Most people said whatever and moved on. Now that it's all true, people are not willing to calm down as quickly.
I imagine over the next few weeks things will calm down, articles will get less hits for the spectacle, and things will return to normal. MS just has to keep it's damn mouth shut and not get any more bad press or it starts all over again. And that's what they are trying to do, yet still failing miserably at it.
Whether the gaming community continues the rallying cry to make sure everyone and their brother, and their brothers step-uncle's sister's nurse's college roommate knows how bad MS screwed up, remains to be seen. I personally hope they don't, because I don't want to see these things become adopted by the mainstream, and affect this hobby the way the casual has effected this gen.