If you don't remember... at the E3 conference earlier this summer Microsoft revealed their new Xbox system, the Xbox One. Along with the reveal came several ridiculous features that made it one of the least user friendly consoles in video game history. It originally required an internet connection at least once a day or your system wouldn't play games that you own, you couldn't share games with friends or family, Microsoft points were required, boxing even more headsets, the $500 price tag, etc.. The list just kept going.
Since the backlash and the obvious ass whooping Sony gave Microsoft with the reveal of the Playstation 4, Microsoft has made a lot of changes to the Xbox One. They lifted the restrictive DRM policy that will continue to allow game sharing and selling, the required internet "check-in" was lifted, and Xbox Live will allow game downloads but they won't be mandatory over a disc. In addition to this, Microsoft announced the Kinect bar will no longer be required for the Xbox One.
The original idea for the Kinect in regards to this new system was to have a mandatory, always connected camera and microphone basically watching and listening to your every move. Even when you weren't using it for a game and that did not settle well with a lot of people, including myself. Now the Kinect will have the option to switch off and not be used. It's a simple settings option and if the Kinect is required the console will notify you that you need to go into your settings and update them.
At this point the price tag of $500 is just about the only thing Microsoft hasn't changed about this system. I personally think it's ridiculous. I would have scrapped the system entirely and just rebuilt it based on the feedback received. Users might as well just stick with their Xbox 360's because the Xbox One is essentially becoming the same system only more expensive. Sorry, but Sony is still winning this battle.
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