being prepared to launch a vanilla console like ps4 isn't that impressive. it's much more impressive to deliver something never done before. I agree to op. Ms wouldn't have launched in '13 if not for that preemption.

Probably a mix of everything said... Then again most software company launch asap and patch after.... I think what we clearly saw last Gen and will probably occur this Gen again is that MS is a software company first and no matter what people say they are rather good at it (software got many updates and improvement) and Sony is a hardware company and they are rather good at it..(redesign of the console and improvements on cost)... Now on this launch MS had two issues to deal with make sure the RRoD fiasco wouldn't happen again and then they got to deal with the 180... Making it hard for them to scramble on the finalization of their product... But thing are only gonna get better from now on especially with their software convergence coming around quite nicely...
I think the start of the Gen was a little bumpy and we are still seeing some aftereffects of it but now they are on schedule with where they want to go and what they want to do... We'll see but this Gen all be more interesting than the last one imo...

Ive thought this for a while, one reason being launch titles.

Ryse was a 360 game.
Dead Rising 3 was a 360 game.
Crimson Dragon was a 360 game.
Forza 5 was clearly rushed.
Killer Instinct wasnt ready for a full release.

Dev tools apparently not fully ready, thus sub optimal games releasing...

They needed more time.

Definitely, but they did a good job relatively in the end, given where things must have stood earlier in the year.

I just wonder how much better they could have done if they didn't mess around the DRM crap and had their eye on the ball.

I still don't know what they were thinking.

In my opinion, you should've never included the KINECT. THAT...by itself, would have opened up a WORLD of options. Better graphics card, larger RAM, equal or lower price at launch...it would've been a 12-round FIGHT. Now, for the moment, all signs point to a NO CONTEST decision.

Tacos are really good, this is getting boring.

If the Xb1 continues to follow the trend of the Wii U, we should get a good kinect game in late 2014. But Nintendo would probably have to make it. Actually, why can't Nintendo make a kinect game, they don't have a camera

It doesn't seem to be an argument of whether the PS4 will handily beat the XB1 in total sales.

I think the XB1 will have been succesful if it sells 70 million plus.  The reality is the PS4 will probably sell 120 million if that is the case.

This. Microsoft knows full well that the Xbox One wasn't ready, but because of the cloud and the way the Xbox One was built that everything they needed was pretty much a digital fix. They even fixed their clockspeed right before launch because of how impressive the PS4 proved itself to be. Microsoft knows never to let Sony launch before them.

Lol I couldn't live without Kinect on Xbox one even if no game was ever made for it... I even tried to turn off my fan with voice command today (followed by a facepalm).... I even get pissed at Kinect 1 not having some features like instant switch between apps or games or volume controls...
using the pad to do basic stuff that shouldn't need me to move a finger so I can do other things at the same time.. Reminds me of my grandpa bitching after cellphone/smartphone... Or people refusing to use social networking or IM to communicate and still use inefficient old fashion ways of communication...
hey I guess to each their own.... I'll have my smart house before I turn 45 y.o. Enjoy your pads...