In 2013 I watched the launch of the Xbox One. The launch event, in my mind, seemed to indicate a transformation of the Xbox from a games console to a home entertainment device with AI, ability to use a Kinnect to make Skype video calls, Microsoft entertainment content, multiple catchup TV apps, and more. It also let you play games.
The games part seemed to be an add-on. In addition, the games would be orientated towards an always connected internet world of digital games. This latter bit was a little annoying. In my town, along with many in the UK, games trade in is a thing. You could pick up a second had disc for a few pounds and try something out. You could also trade in expensive games once you were done. Lots of low income families would use this to keep their kids happy too. So this seemed a negative turn of events. Also digital games cost more. You could buy a game from Amazon or your supermarket for 25% less than a digital download from Microsoft. How does that even make sense? The cost of discs, packaging and store space or posting a package is cheaper than a digital download.
Had Microsoft gone off their heads?
I did buy the Day One console. I paid a premium for the Kinect. Microsoft had made it very clear there was no way back. No backward compatibility was going to be offered. Hundreds of pounds were spent. The old Xbox 360 games were traded in or given away. I was now fully Xbox One enabled.
Then the promised new entertainment services didn’t seem to arrive. I remembered that Microsoft had a launch segment with Steven Spielberg promising some content. There were US sports which were little use in Britain but I could live with the “US Only” mentality of Microsoft – it was normal. There were some rumour of a standalone TV box for MS entertainment services.
What has happened?
The launch of a home entertainment centre was so good it gamers headed to the Playstation 4. Microsoft then “relaunched” the Xbox One as an actual games console. The home entertainment hub was gently dropped when Google released a £30 Chromecast and Amazon produced the Fire Stick. Kinect proved to be an expensive door wedge. Suddenly Microsoft announced Xbox 360 compatibility was coming. Unfortunately, I believed them when they said they won’t do that so I didn’t have any of my old favourites left. However, I could buy the digital remasters for more money than I spent on the originals.
In a sense my Xbox One was the promise of an integrated Microsoft ecosystem of services. Movies, TV, gaming, video calling, original content, integration with my WindowsPhone and PC.
I do get that Microsoft find games a good a business. I like gaming. However, the Xbox One 2013 vision has hardly been realised so I am cautious about the Xcloud and other “X” properties. Microsoft have perhaps fooled me too many times with my consumer cash.
Bats
<p>If I were you, I would wait. Don't "invest" anything with Xbox games and services. That division is a total mess…like everything else they have tried to venture in outside of Windows and Office. </p><p><br></p><p>Don't believe this "Microsoft has more cloud experience" BS that Microsoft followers keep saying. When one company goes through a journey and suffers pitfalls along the way, the truth is, EVERY entity learns from it, it as well. Outside companies not only learn from other company's mistakes, but they HIRE executives who know how to handle it. </p><p><br></p><p>The reason why I recommend you to "Hold" is because Sony, and their Playstation Division, has a firm hold in the gaming segment and it's going to take a colossal collapse on their part for Microsoft to ever be back in the "game." When it comes to gamers, they are just so happy with their Playstations, that I seriously doubt that they will ever go to the Xbox….ever. Think about it. These gamers have trophies, history, friends, communities, etc….all within the Playstation platform. Leave all that and try to rebuild it again in the Xbox World? I think not. Unless the Playstation suffers one helluva collapse, why move? Why switch? Look at Microsoft's best efforts to lure gamers back to the Xbox fold. It didn't work. Nothing worked. The more powerful Xbox One X "scheme" did not work. They tried everything and nothing worked. To paraphrase a former US President, "Read. My. Lips. It. Won't. Work."</p><p><br></p><p>Keep in mind, this is not like a football (soccer), where everything resets to zero once a new season begins. Rather then next gen console wars will continue on where it left off from the previous generation because the state of gaming has changed to more things outside the realm of actual gaming like I mentioned above.</p><p><br></p><p>Not just that, but the gaming market is about to get saturated….big time. Microsoft does not do well when it comes to competition. Not just that, but they don't know how to build an ecosystem, nor do they know how to maintain it. I am excited to see how this plays out. </p><p><br></p><p>I say this, because you are going to be told the opposite of what I am suggesting you do by people who constantly misjudge the tech landscape. The next thing you know…….you are out a few hundred bucks. </p><p><br></p><p>So all in all, I suggest you wait. Microsoft is rumored to have a more powerful gaming console along with an established cloud service. LOL….that means nothing. Absolutely nothing. </p><p><br></p>