Some Thoughts on the Xbox One

I remember when the the original Xbox came out. I was 15 when it was announced and essentially did a proposal for my parents on why they should buy it for me. Must have worked because I got it for Christmas (I was 16 by then). When the Xbox 360 came out, I waited until the very last minute before deciding I should buy it, which means there were no preorders left. I waited in line, at Best Buy, from 7:30pm-9am. Thank God my friends showed up a little after me, so I had someone to wait with, talk to, and take shifts while we each took turns warming up in the car. I’m very fond of the console and the brand, so when the Xbox One was announced, I was pretty excited about it. Here are some of my thoughts.

First of all, there are some super-killer features that make the Xbox One a media center as well as a gaming console:

•  Voice and Smartphone Controls
• The ability to watch TV and movies through the device
• “Snap” mode, which allows you to view two things at ones
• Skype
• Completely overhauled motion detection

The ability to do things like say, “Xbox On” or “Xbox, watch TV” is amazing. Snap mode- even better! Imagine watching a movie with IMDB up or playing Madden while also watching football (we used to do that in college, but it required 2 TVs).

They are also releasing original content, which is a fantastic trend among content delivery systems and companies. Will it work out for Microsoft? Maybe. A live action Halo TV show directed by Spielberg? That’s crazy and awesome.

Complaints

Of-course, this is the age of the Internet, and therefore people will complain and be heard. The biggest complaint I’ve heard by far is that the Xbox One isn’t backwards compatible, meaning it can’t play Xbox 360 games. The main reason is the brand new processor the One has. Games on 360 were built for its processor, and the Xbox One got an upgrade; this means more power, but no old game support.

Here’s the thing about backwards compatibility: if you have 360 games, it stands to reason you have a 360. You don’t have to get rid of it when you get the One. Keep them both. Play them both. You can do it. I believe in you.

There’s also the fact that it’s “always on.” So again, that’s a pretty simple solution: unplug it. Give it it’s own power switch and switch it off when you’re not using it. It doesn’t have to always stay on.

There is one valid complaint, which is that there are some restrictions on selling and trading games. Microsoft has officially stated that they are working on this, so I will not comment on it until we know  the full details. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s an upsetting trend across the entire gaming industry.

So will I buy it? Almost definitely. I love the brand and it’s more than just a gaming console. Google TV was kind of a bust, so I’m hoping the Xbox One will take it’s place.