| pokoko said: Really, though, why would the masses buy an XO? A lot of other devices do very similar things for less money, some of which many people already own. How much of what the XO does can't be done on a laptop, smart phone, tablet PC, cable-box/DVR, or even the television itself? In many cases, it's just adding another (expensive) layer which really isn't necessary. Just another thing to turn and interact with before you can watch television. I don't think it's going to take over the living room. People not interested in gaming aren't going to pay that much money for something that isn't really needed. Gamers who watch a lot of television will be interest, perhaps, and it's a good hook that a kid can use to convince a parent that the XO is a good family device, but I disagree with the idea what it's going to go viral with non-gamers. |
You make two very valid points.
On the first, you're absolutely correct. You can do much of the same on other devices. However, I think what the Xbox One will do is bring them all together (XO after all - kisses and hugs). The Xbox One doesn't just interact with your TV or cable box. It doesn't just provide interactive TV capabilities. It allows up to 16 different devices to connect to it, and interact with it as well. So your smartphone or tablet can become a second screen because the Xbox One can connect to it directly via Wi-Fi Direct. With your Wi-Fi Direct enabled Denon AV Reciever you'll be able to connect to your AV system wirelessly, not only streaming your audio to it wirelessly, but controlling it's features along with the Xbox Ones*. So you could say, "Xbox On" and the Xbox One would turn on your Xbox console AND all your Wi-Fi Direct devices setup to turn on when you activate your console. Even that RCA, Wi-Fi enabled picture frame could connect to your Xbox One and grab images from your SkyDrive and display them. Just watch where you put your porn**.
I think you're correct. This is a transitional generation where the console will enhance its media capabilities, but those capabilities won't supersede gaming. At least to begin with. The buyer of the Xbox One will in large part be a gamer at some level, however in five years as the capabilities and services change the consumers will buy it for it's media features. We had this happen with the Xbox 360. When Netflix rolled out on the Xbox 360, consumers bought it specifically for that purpose. I know, because I know people who did. They became gamers, but they bought it for NetFlix.
E3 is about games. This is what we heard from EVERYONE last year. E3 is about games, not apps or non-gaming uses. So, in part, Microsoft did a general overview of what Xbox One is capable of for its launch. E3 will be about games on the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One. I'm guessing before the summer is out, there will be another event to show-off the Xbox One yet again.
* This is not a documented feature, but it is a capability of a Wi-Fi Direct enabled device. If the Denon AV Receiver allows an app to control it, and the receiver and the Xbox One are interconnected via Wi-Fi, and there is an integrated functionality built into the Xbox One for those features (an app) then it would be able to do it.
** The EULA for SkyDrive prohibits pornographic images. So...don't put them there!
