News - Microsoft Xbox One also sold over a million within 24 hours

[flufflogic]

It could just be the promised "no Kinect" version. Which, by the impressions on the 'net, would remove one of the best bits of the machine.

[finlay666]

A revision could be something as trivial as a die shrink like Falcon on the 360, considering the R&D time spent a die shrink could be available shortly after release if needed

[Saracen]

....

Couldn't agree more - especially with that last sentence. I've got Tivo, smartTV and home theater systems that can do Netflix, Lovefilm, etc - and tablets that can send Google Movies etc to the TV too - so why the heck do I need yet another route? And as for music streaming - forget it - smartphone and a aptX compatible Bluetooth adaptor. Failing that, the home theater system will happily send the music collection (on NAS) to it's 5.1 speakers.

....

And that, in large part, is why I've ruled it out. All I want from a games console is a good games console, and I couldn't, personally, give a hoot about it's media credentials, let alone 4k bluray, etc.

I said weeks ago, in a discussion after spec were initially announced, and the 24/7 net connection fiasco, that IF a "light" version were to be released that was JUST an updated console, and for which Kinect was an option (i.e. not built-in), then I'd maybe look again. But I'm not holding my breath, because I doubt MS will do that.

But personally, I am simply NOT buying an XBox that has built-in and permanently on Kinect. And that was before current scandals over LG and privacy settings being ignored, and some previous concerns with Samsung. I don't have any interest even in the gaming facilities of Kinect, and there is no chance I'm putting cameras and microphones, that have an internet connection, run by MS (or any other corporate) hardware, into my home. I haven't added the 360 Kinect, even when I can disKinect it when it wasn't in use, partly because the little it offers that I might use isn't worth anywhere near the £70 or so it costs. I simply do not trust them.

So .... I don't want permanent net connection, don't trust MS over DRM, have zero interest in their "media device" convergence, and am NOT putting a permanent Kinect in my home, now or ever.

All I wanted was a new gen games console. Full stop. Period. End of.

And it doesn't look like I'm going to be offered an MS offering, and I'm not entirely convinced Sony will either. Or, indeed, anyone.

It looks suspiciously as if the 360 marks the end of my games console days. If so .... oh well, but so be it. At least it'll save me quite a bit of money, on the console, and even more on games. In fact, it'll pay for a new high-end PC, when (if) I get around to needing one.

....

I just think that Microsoft's "convergence at all costs" strategy in many areas (e.g. tablet interface being forced on desktop users) is now getting a bit on the daft side.

...

Well, quite. If I had to guess, I'd say these are both clear signs of MS messing it's collective underwear over loss of market dominance, over failure to make much progress combating Google, failure to achieve more than modest inroads into Apple/Android territory in phones or tablets, and over the receding relative importance of desktop OS's.

But I probably ought to send MS a letter of thanks. Their decisions over XBox have saved me a lot of money by not upgrading my 360, and their decisions over Win8/MUI have saved me a fair bit in either sticking with Win7, for some machines, or switching entirely to Linux, and Libre, instead of Windows and Office, for others. Thankyou, MS.

[jnutt]

PS4 launches in US/canada and does over a Million. Xbox One does the same BUT in 13 countries. Maybe figures are not as good as they seem?

[munkylord]

I got mine Friday with Forza 5, Killer Instinct and Fifa 14. So far so good. Enjoying the games, Graphically they look great and certainly have the wow factor - Forza 5 in particular.

The UI is terrible though, I guess its a product of a rush to launch and a lack of content, I'm pretty sure it will get updated in the following months.

Before buying I tried out hooking my PC to my TV and going the Steam (big picture) route but it just didn't work well, most games still needed a mouse or keyboard at some point and the user experience just wasn't there. Hopefully Valve will continue improving their offering and I can have a compelling option of playing my PC games on my TV next year.

I hope all those with new PS4/X1 issues get them resolved quickly to their satisfaction.

[kingpotnoodle]

FYI guys, xbox 1.1 denied by Microsoft Director.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=90911798&postcount=46

Wouldn't surprise me if the hardware is a steam box, those are due for Q1 2014.

A Steam box, by Microsoft? Are you totally crackers... or high?

It's pretty common that console hardware is revised, but it rarely has any noticeable impact to the user experience because it's supposed to be a stable platform. It might only be an update to the shipping firmware version or at most it'd be a change of optical drive manufacturer (although those are probably sourced from multiple vendors already) or perhaps a new stepping of the APU or something.

[shaithis]

Yes, but that's what Bluecube and I can't get our heads around - how are these "important additions" to something whose primary purpose is a games console? That list - while definitely being "nice to haves" only make sense for a media device. In which case why not just spend that XBone money on a proper home theater type BD player setup and get something better suited?

Everyone is different. For each person turned off by the media functionality, there will be another who will buy it because it has it. When the 360 released, I bought 2 just because of it's media functionality. I bought a PS3 for the BD player. For me those selling points are now moot thanks to a HTPC and smart tvs but not everyone has them and the XBO will appeal to a lot of people because of that.

Of course, they could have just slapped 8GB of GDDR5 on the board like board like Sony and had the best of both worlds.........

[kingpotnoodle]

Everyone is different. For each person turned off by the media functionality, there will be another who will buy it because it has it.

The non-gaming features are for me the ONLY interesting thing about the XBox, I'm hoping it will lead to faster advances in smart TV features and perhaps Microsoft making a big play for "the living room" again, I'd love to see a smaller, leaner, cheaper Kinect driven device that didn't play games but had the other features, the overlays and add-on features *could* really grow into something useful. At £429 it's more than I'd spend for the current features but it would be nice to see a big software company entering the smart TV arena seriously, perhaps Microsoft could do what Google failed to do with the Google TV and improve over the rather crappy efforts of the major TV vendors.

[Saracen]

Everyone is different. For each person turned off by the media functionality, there will be another who will buy it because it has it. When the 360 released, I bought 2 just because of it's media functionality. I bought a PS3 for the BD player. For me those selling points are now moot thanks to a HTPC and smart tvs but not everyone has them and the XBO will appeal to a lot of people because of that.

Of course, they could have just slapped 8GB of GDDR5 on the board like board like Sony and had the best of both worlds.........

First three words there nailed it.

I don't doubt some will love the media aspects, and some may buy it for that alone.

My problem is that all I want is a games console, and a local one at that. I don't even care if it's net-connected.

And the XBOne is evolving away from it's origins, but my needs aren't. Right or wrong, by "converging" with media aspects, MS are diverging from my needs. So be it. It's why I won't buy one, though. As you say, everyone is different.

[grayg1]

First three words there nailed it.

I don't doubt some will love the media aspects, and some may buy it for that alone.

My problem is that all I want is a games console, and a local one at that. I don't even care if it's net-connected.

And the XBOne is evolving away from it's origins, but my needs aren't. Right or wrong, by "converging" with media aspects, MS are diverging from my needs. So be it. It's why I won't buy one, though. As you say, everyone is different.

Wii U

[Saracen]

Wii U

Possibly. Don't know much about it. So, maybe.

[davidcrofter]

Yes, but that's what Bluecube and I can't get our heads around - how are these "important additions" to something whose primary purpose is a games console? That list - while definitely being "nice to haves" only make sense for a media device. In which case why not just spend that XBone money on a proper home theater type BD player setup and get something better suited?

I'm not having a go at you, I just think that Microsoft's "convergence at all costs" strategy in many areas (e.g. tablet interface being forced on desktop users) is now getting a bit on the daft side. Then again, are Sony being any more sensible?

I think the days of consoles just being made to play games are a thing of the past - if they can "truly" handle the 4k media side of things it is a massive advantage for either console going forward ...

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Among the people I know who have consoles,I get the impression more are interested in the PS4 than the XBox One.

[grayg1]

Possibly. Don't know much about it. So, maybe.

It's so much a games console it can't even play DVDs, despite using a DVD drive and Nintendos approach to online has always been half arsed. The problem for me is that it's a little too expensive for what it is.

[Saracen]

It's so much a games console it can't even play DVDs, despite using a DVD drive and Nintendos approach to online has always been half arsed. The problem for me is that it's a little too expensive for what it is.

Without going and looking it up, I've no idea what it costs. I don't care if it plays DVDs, though. Put it this way, if there are two models and one plays DVDs but costs £1 more, and the other doesn't, I'd save the £1 .... if I was to buy either.

The crunch for me will be .... what games? Perhaps more relevantly, what type of games? For instance, I'm more interested in immersive RPGs, decent shoot-em-ups, flight sims, racing sims, etc, than "platform" games. I never bothered with a Wii because most of the games that I saw wouldn't have held my interest for very long. I may, however, be misjudging the WiiU based on (possibly incorrect) initial impressions of predessors.

But, if I'm to spend possibly several hundred pounds on ANY console, it's going to have to convince me it offers convincingly enough appeal to hold my interest over a long period. Otherwise, I'll just resort to playing existing 360 games, and of course, PC games that I already own, or that come out on DRM-free PC gaming sites.

What I'm not bothered about is playing the latest, greatest new release in order to keep up with what keen gamers play. So whatever PC games I buy, you can pretty much guarantee it's substantially discounted, because I'll wait until it is. Oh, and you can certainly assume it won't have Steam (or any mandatory internet connection) as a requirement, because if it does, I won't buy it at any price.

All this DRM cobblers with so many PC games is the main reason I went for a 360 in the first place. MS ruined that for me with a mandatory net connection for the One. I have no idea what, if anything, the WiiU requires. I need to check out the WiiU quite carefully before I know if it suits my needs.

[crossy]

Before buying I tried out hooking my PC to my TV and going the Steam (big picture) route but it just didn't work well, most games still needed a mouse or keyboard at some point and the user experience just wasn't there. Hopefully Valve will continue improving their offering and I can have a compelling option of playing my PC games on my TV next year.

Sleeping Dogs works very well in Steam's BPM - once Steam's launched you can do everything with the controller. (Not a bad game either)

Everyone is different. For each person turned off by the media functionality, there will be another who will buy it because it has it. When the 360 released, I bought 2 just because of it's media functionality. I bought a PS3 for the BD player. For me those selling points are now moot thanks to a HTPC and smart tvs but not everyone has them and the XBO will appeal to a lot of people because of that.

Of course, they could have just slapped 8GB of GDDR5 on the board like board like Sony and had the best of both worlds.........

It's been pointed out that I need to agree with you ... by my kids. They point out that while the base level of media features in the XBox/PS3/XBone/PS4 don't make sense up against the smart TV and especially BD-based home theatre, your typical spotty-teenager-in-bedroom setup won't have a fancy TV nor home theatre. Plus, I've been asked to point out, with the needs of clothes storage etc, the typical teen doesn't have the space for more than one device. So a games console that can also play movies and music makes a ton of sense for them.

Maybe that's where I'm going wrong - I'm assuming that Microsoft/Sony have launched "for all" devices whereas in fact these are really designed for the younger player, and us "old farts" would be better off with our tech'd up PC's.

Next Hexus website update can we get an "I agree" or "Like" button - to save folks having to use "Thanks" for that?