Xbox One: It Can Only Get Better - Article

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Like many gamers out there I could easily summarise the Xbox One reveal with a single word: disappointing. Microsoft clearly didn’t execute a successful console reveal, and the fallout from the event will undoubtedly cost them some serious brownie points. Gamers seem to have no faith in the Xbox One as a gaming platform, and with so much speculation still in the air, we are a thoroughly pissed off bunch right now. Microsoft and the Xbox One are in a bad place, but they can redeem themselves in June. 

With E3 right around the corner Microsoft have a chance to right their wrongs. Their focus on everything but games needs addressing, and what better place to do it than at the biggest gaming Expo in the world? We heard about some fresh IPs at the reveal and then we were quickly ushered on. I’m not sure why they didn’t tease us some more there and then, but Microsoft need to know that showing us Forza and Call of Duty footage just doesn’t cut it anymore. I’ll be willing to forgive this oversight in a few weeks, but only if they show us some goddam games - I’d even take a montage trailer at this point. You have 15 exclusive titles Microsoft - wield that power well, and you might just win us back. 

Microsoft should also use E3 as a platform to clarify just how dependent on an internet connection the Xbox One is, and how the Xbox One will deal with used games. There are obscene amounts of speculation flying around the internet as we speak, and this only leads to confusion on an unprecedented scale. Microsoft need to come out and clearly state their intentions. Of course in an ideal world they wouldn’t be eliminating the used market entirely, however if they choose to do so, I fear they will only be the first to implement what will eventually become the norm. When the people making and publishing your games want the used market to start sleeping with the fishes, it’s only a matter of time before that wish becomes a reality.  

The final issue that must be addressed at E3 is Xbox Live. It was largely left out of the reveal, apart from a few buzzword mentions, and that has me worried that the service will continue to stagnate. Microsoft need to improve upon Xbox Live in order to compete with PlayStation Plus. I have absolutely no qualms about paying to play online, but when Sony offers consumers more for their money, it’s nigh impossible to justify the yearly price tag of Microsoft's service. Times have changed and Xbox Live is no longer outshining the opposition. Microsoft need to prove to us that their online service is a feature we should be paying for, and they need to do it sooner rather than later. 

Microsoft have made it abundantly clear that they intend to make the Xbox One a multimedia device. However, just because it will no longer be a pure gaming device, it doesn’t mean it can’t be a great device for gaming. The backlash from fans should tell Microsoft what they need to do at E3: appeal to the gamers of the world; seduce us with some gorgeous new exclusives, entice us with some outstanding partnerships and for the love of God never, ever show us any more of those disturbing Kinect demos.

It might be too late for Microsoft to win back some of you. That TV-ridden reveal may have been the final nail in the coffin, and your hearts may belong with Sony or Nintendo now. Let's remember, though, that Microsoft still has a chance to impress on the biggest stage, and for the sake of gamers everywhere, I hope they seize it.

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